Harry Potter and the Power Pack
by hockeygoalie1992
Summary: Repost of a fic by request. It will not be continued.
1. Prologue Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of the Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of the characters.**

**See profile for author's message. This story will not be continued.**

_Thoughts_

**Prologue Part 1: It's for the Best**

Albus Dumbledore would rather be anywhere than here.

He would almost prefer to duel with his former student turned Dark Lord, Tom Riddle, to the death. The wizened old wizard shook his head in shame as he followed his friends and former students, Lily and James Potter, to the front door of St. Mary's Home for Orphaned Children. Orphan. The word struck a cord deep within Albus's heart. The word could mean that the child's parents were dead, and he or she was alone from the start. _Perhaps_, the old man thought miserably, _that would be a happier situation for such a young child_. But this was not the case. Today, he was witnessing something he never thought possible: the Potters were leaving their youngest child, Harry James Potter, at an orphanage. Albus wanted nothing more than to wake up and find out that this was all a terrible nightmare, but his wishes were in vain.

The old man forced himself to use every ounce of his occulmency training not to weep for the child, or to unleash his fury upon his friends. He wasn't sure which would come first, and after losing his sister in a fight with Gellert and his own brother, he didn't want to find out. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Wait."

Lily and James turned to see what Dumbledore wanted. He looked at his former students, no, his _prized_ former students with an expression that hadn't been seen on his face before in nearly half a century: anguish.

"Are you absolutely sure this is necessary?" he asked. _I must try once more, I must convince them not to abandon their own son_. "I understand that I cannot convince you to raise him along with the training you will give his siblings, but surely you can at least help raise your own son. You could have Sirius, the Weasleys, the Bones, or Remus, the boy's godfather!"

"Albus, our decision is final," an annoyed James replied. "We just can't cope with the stress of raising another child. We need Remus and Sirius to help us train Nate. Besides, I'd rather not deal with Harry becoming jealous or acting out to attract attention. It's for the best." Lily nodded as he finished, her eyes held the same resolve as her husband.

"Lily, James, please see reason! How can you honestly say that leaving _your son_ alone in an orphanage is for the best? How can you deny him the comfort of knowing a mother's love and kindness or a father's wisdom? For Merlin's sake, you could leave him with nearly any magical family, excluding the Malfoys or the Parkinsons, and he would at least find some form of happiness! I beg you, at the very least allow him to be raised by one of your friends so he can have some contact with his –"

"I'm sorry, Albus," Lily cut him off. " But, as my husband said, our decision is final. We have discussed this matter with Remus, Sirius, and even the Weasleys and all of them agree with us. Our Nate the chosen one! We simply cannot divide our attention between him and Harry. They require special training and attention, Harry will, most likely, be average at best."

"You are abandoning-"

"We aren't abandoning him!" James cut in, indignantly.

"You are abandoning your own flesh and blood simply because you _assume_ that he will be 'average at best'!"

"Albus, calm down and listen to us," Lily replied. "You are losing your temper for nothing –"

"For nothing?" he yelled. "Of all the absurdly idiotic things I have ever heard-"

"Stop yelling and let me finish! As I was saying, you are losing your temper for nothing because we are not going to abandon our son here permanently."

"I am afraid that I do not follow. Please, enlighten me. Just how leaving your child in an orphanage is not abandonment. Or perhaps you'd like to inform me that I need to check a more updated volume of the English dictionary?"

"Because we're going to leave instructions for them not to allow him to be adopted." Lily responded, as if that would justify everything. "We will reclaim him when he is eleven and ready to attend Hogwarts. We will explain the situation and make him see that it is for the best."

"And you think that he will be happy with that? That he will jump into your arms, joyously crying 'Mommy' after you look him in the eye and tell him that he was cast aside because it was 'for the best'? Has it not occurred to either of you that he might, instead, hold a grudge?"

"Of course not, we expect that he will be angry at first," James replied. "But we are confident that he will see reason and be willing to live happily with us. We even have a little incentive for him, a contingency plan if you will. We have -"

"_Contingency plan_!" Albus snapped. "He is a child, a _human child_, and you speak of him as if he is an item that might malfunction? Perhaps you have more in common with Voldemort (the Potters flinched at _his_ name) than you think, James!"

"Do not compare my husband to that murdering psychopath! If you would kindly stop acting like a petulant child and listen you will understand what we mean! We have taken the liberty of having our son engaged through an arranged marriage for the sake of his future happiness. When we inform him, he will be overjoyed to learn that we were looking out for his wellbeing."

"Oh yes," Dumbledore drawled. "Oh indeed, now it is clear to me. By taking away his right to find love with anyone that may please him and engaging him to a girl whom he has never me, you are looking out for him. I am almost afraid to ask, did either of you think, for even a fraction of a second, that he may not even like the girl?"

"Oh please," James dismissed him, with a lazy wave of his hand. "Now you're just going with 'what ifs'. We're sure he'll come to like her. I've known her father for many years, our families have close ties."

"Dare I ask, to whom have you bound your _unwilling_ son?"

"The youngest daughter of Apolline and Jean-Claude Delacour, Gabrielle." Replied Lily.

"I see, that still does not dismiss my previous argument: what if young Harry does not like her?"

"She's a quarter-Veela, Albus." James answered. "If he doesn't like her at first, then she'll simply have to _persuade_ him."

"I cannot listen to anymore of this rubbish. The think that the two of you would endorse someone to use the Veela's allure on your son is nothing short of appalling. Your father would roll over in his grave, James." With that, Albus Dumbledore, defeater of Gellert Grindewald, apparated away.

Both Potters sighed and shook their heads. Why couldn't the Headmaster see the logic in their plan? It was flawless, in their minds at least. They walked the remaining distance to the front porch of St. Mary's and left a Harry on the doorstep, wrapped in a small blanket with a note fastened to it. They walked down the sidewalk and into an alley, and apparrated home.

Minutes after the Potters had left, a form shifted into view next to the sleeping form of Harry. Albus Dumbledore may have been unable to convince to Potters to reconsider their actions, but he refused to let a child alone in the night. _Contingency plans? Arranged marriages? Veela allure? _Dumbledore raged in hi head. _How in the world do people see the Potters as 'the perfect Light family'? How could I be so foolish to believe that their egos would not inflate with their children's legend. _

"Oh Harry… I hope someday, you will find it in your heart to forgive this old man for his failure. But I will not allow them to hurt you, child. Everyone deserves the opportunity to find their path in life, and you, my dear boy, are no different."

Albus reached down and picked up the sleeping child, and rang the doorbell. He waited for a couple minutes before the door was answered.

"Welcome to St. Mary's Home for Orphaned children," greeted a middle-aged nun. "I am Sister Evangeline McKinney, how may I help you?"

"Madam, I am afraid that this young child has been left here by his parents, I wanted to make sure that you received him before he succumb to the cold night air." Dumbledore replied before taking a moment to observe his momentary host. Sister Evangeline was a tall, skinny woman with a very stern and studious air about her. But after looking into her eyes, Albus was pleased, no, relieved to find a great deal of compassion, especially when she looked upon the sleeping form of Harry. He was shaken from his thoughts when she spoke again.

"May the Lord bless you for your act of kindness, sir. Please do not think me rude, but I must ask: how is it that you happened upon a child abandoned on our doorstep in the middle of the night?"

_This woman is observant and seems to take nothing for face value, good. Perhaps she can help me._ "You are correct, my dear. I was present when his parents left him here and I am ashamed to say that I was, obviously, unsuccessful in convincing them otherwise. May I come in and talk with you? I have a few issues that I wish to address with you."

Sister McKinney took a moment to consider the man's request as she went over his statement mentally. She found that he was genuinely concerned for the boy's wellbeing and a bit reluctant to relinquish him until these "issues" are addressed. She nodded her head and responded, "Please do, I would loathe to think that I took a child into my care without knowing something that might benefit or harm him."

With that, Albus stepped into the orphanage and followed her as she lead him to her office. Upon entry, he noted that it was relatively simple and plain. A clock adorned the wall, a muggle computer rested atop a small wooden desk, two chairs sat side by side facing the desk, and, finally, a painting of the Virgin Mary hung proudly behind the desk. He politely waited for the Sister McKinney to sit before he did, this was her domain and even a man as powerful as he respected that.

"Now Mr. –"

"Oh, forgive me madam. My name is Albus Dumbledore, a pleasure to meet you, though I do wish that the circumstances were happier."

"Oh don't apologize Mr. Dumbledore, you seem more concerned with your charge's safety than you are of making appearances. Before we begin, might I ask what his name is?" She gestured to Harry as she said the last sentence.

"This is Harold James Potter, but I prefer to call him Harry." Here, Albus smiled. _Even though she has yet to hear my story, she has already shown you the love and compassion that Lily should have. Thank Mer- no. I suppose it would be more proper to thank God for this woman._

"A most respectable name," she replied with a small smile of her own. "Now, what issues would you like to address with me?"

"Well, as I said earlier, young Harry's parents have abandoned him." Sister McKinney was shocked to see that Albus seemed to age a decade as he said this. "They did not abandon him due to any financial trouble, but I would prefer that their reasoning not be discussed as I am still quite displeased."

"I understand your displeasure, but how is the abandonment an issue? Other than the obvious of course."

"The issue is actually their plan for his future." He unfastened the note from Harry's blanket and handed it to her. "They left this note instructing that you do not allow him to be adopted until they return for him. My first issue is: would you follow this instruction?"

After quickly scanning the note, she looked up with him, outraged at such an implication. "What sort of irresponsible idiots do you associate with?" She hissed. "Do your friends normally abandon their children out of convenience?"

"My dear, I am beginning to wonder that myself. I feel, for the first time in many years, as if I do not know the people around me." Albus sighed, feeling every bit the one hundred and fifty year old man he was.

Sister McKinney's fury was halted when she saw the old man before her deflate. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that he was not the problem, before continuing, "How long? How long did they plan to leave him here?"

"Eleven years."

"WHAT?" Damn being calm, this was unforgivable. "Eleven years? This is an orphanage, not a long-term daycare!"

"Then you will ignore their request?" Albus hoped that she would, she would definitely listen to him if she refused the Potters' orders.

"Of course I'm going to ignore their request! I work tirelessly to help these children find stable homes where they can be happy, where they can have a future!" _Is this old man daft?_ She seethed._ No child should have to suffer knowing that his parents cast him aside like a bag of trash! This fool is half a second from-_

"Then we are on the same page." Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt. _Wait… what?_

"I beg your pardon?"

Suddenly, Sister McKinney watched as Dumbledore's eyes seemed to ignite and burn with determination. "I refuse to let an innocent child feel such pain, I wanted to make sure that you would help him find a family that would love him. He deserves to have one. If he is adopted before his parents return, I only ask that you promise me that you make sure that he will be raised well."

Stunned, the nun could only nod her head. _I… I can't believe that I misjudged him after seeing his protective actions directed at Harry earlier. Dear Lord, forgive me for painting him with the same brush as his companions. _She took a moment to compose herself before answering. "Y-Yes. I promise you that I will take steps to ensure his childhood is happy. Forgive me for my outburst, I normally have better control of my temper."

"No apology is necessary, Sister." Albus's eyes seemed to glow with mirth. "You were simply angered by his parents' actions as I was earlier this evening, it is quite understandable. However, I feel that I must address my second and final issue, one that concerns young Harry directly."

"What is it?" She asked, hoping it wasn't anything harmful. "An illness? A disability? Is he in immediate danger?"

_Oh dear, my flare for the dramatic always seems to appear at the worst times_, he mused to himself. "Oh heavens no, none of that. Forgive me for sounding so ominous. The issue is that young Harry here is a bit… different from normal children."

"Different? How so?"

_How do I explain this without breaking the very bylaws that I, myself, wrote._ "He is a bit, special." _No way around it, I suppose. She does have a right to know since she will hold custody until he is adopted._ "He is –"

"Is he a mutant?"

"A what?" That hadn't been what Dumbledore was expecting at all.

"A mutant. A human whose DNA has advanced and altered so that he is capable of far more than a normal human being."

"Yes, I suppose that would be the best way to put it." _It does fit the definition of magical people._ "Will this cause a problem?"

"Sir, he could be the son of a serial killer and I wouldn't care. The sins of the father do not carry over onto his son. Even if he is a mutant, he is still a human, and still has the right to life."

"Thank you so very much, my dear. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"No trouble at all, sir. Is there anything else?"

"I wonder, could I have one last moment with young Harry? I wish to say goodbye in case our paths do not cross again."

"By all means, take your time sir. I'll wait outside the door." True to her word, Sister McKinney stood and exited her office, closing the door behind her.

Albus turned his gaze upon Harry, who had somehow managed to sleep through the discussion. He chuckled, if only he could care for the child himself, but he had a duty to his own people.

"My dear boy, you deserve much better than this. I hope that my actions today will aid you in the future." Albus paused briefly. "Harry… I can sense great power within you, the likes of which even I cannot fathom. I know that you have the capacity to do great things… the path you choose to take with this power is up to you, not anyone else's master plan. I hope we meet again someday, and I hope that when we do, you are happy. I can live with you hating my world, I can live with you hating me. But I can only hope for your future wellbeing."

Here, Albus paused to wipe a tear that threatened to fall. He turned to the image of Mary, "I may not be a man of faith, but I humbly ask that you watch over this child. Please keep him safe, my Lady."

He then walked to the door and opened it, Sister McKinney stood by waiting for him. As he handed Harry to her, he thanked her and let her escort him out of the orphanage. Albus Dumbledore watched as she closed the door and couldn't help but whisper, "Good luck…. Harry Potter." He turned and apparrated back to Hogwarts.

**Chapter End**

**Ok, no Marvel characters appeared so far. They'll be making their debuts soon enough. **

**Up Next: It's been a month since young Harry Potter was left at St. Mary's. As Sister Evangeline is going about her day helping the orphanage children, an American couple comes knocking at the door.**

**Please review and let me know what you think.**


	2. Prologue Part 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series nor any of the Marvel comics series, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters. **

**With that official business out of the way, I'd just like to say: wow. I never could have thought that so many people would be on board with this. I'd like to thank all of you for reading and supporting this story. I only hope that I can live up to whatever expectations you have of me.**

**Prologue Part 2: A Potter No More**

Sister McKinney smiled as she watched a few of the younger orphan girls playing dress up. The fact that baby Harry was being used as a doll made it all the more entertaining.

It had been a month since her conversation with Albus Dumbledore, and so far everything had been going well. Sister McKinney and her younger assistant, Sister Anna Sanderson, had found Harry to be oddly quiet and well behaved for a child his age. He only seemed to cry when he was hungry or had a nightmare, he didn't throw tantrums when it was time for bed or bath, and he seemed absolutely delighted whenever the other children decided to play with him.

Here, Sister McKinney chuckled. The morning after Harry's arrival was a wonderfully happy memory for her. She had been unable to sleep, wondering just what the future might bring for her newest charge when she realized that she now had to introduce him to the rest of the orphanage children. The moment they laid eyes on him, they had been enamored with him, doting on him constantly.

_Oh my, if he stays here long enough, he'll be spoiled by the children._ She mused. _That is, if Anna doesn't do so first!_ Yes, just about everyone at St. Mary's had been enamored with the boy on sight. She watched with unconcealed amusement as a few of the boys tried to liberate baby Harry from the clutches of his 'tormentors'. Their efforts were in vain when one of the youngest girls, Elizabeth, got up and began yelling at them.

"Hawrry's playing with us now! You play with him later!" Little Elizabeth had immediately latched onto Harry, declaring that he was her 'baby brother'. One might think that the much larger boys could move her out of the way… but they really didn't want to try to separate her from Harry by force. Not after last time.

Even Sister McKinney shuddered at that memory. _I would have never thought that such a small_, _normally mild-mannered little girl would have such a temper when roused… I'll have to work with her on that as she grows._

She was jarred from her thoughts when she heard a knock on the front door. "Sister Anna, would you please keep an eye on the children while I see who's at the door?"

After receiving a nod from her assistant, who was trying (and failing) to hide her own amusement at the scene before her, Sister McKinney made for the door. When she opened the door, she took a brief moment to survey the pair that stood before her.

They were a middle-aged couple, dressed as if they had just come from a business meeting. The man was average in size, but she could see the faint hint of a muscular body through his shirt. His eyes were a deep shade of brown, as was his hair save for the patches of grey nearest to his temples. His eyes seemed to hold the knowledge of a man far older than he appeared. He was either highly educated, or he had experienced more than the average man. Perhaps even a bit of both. But he seemed to be a bit out of touch with his surroundings, as if he were having a silent intellectual debate with himself.

The woman seemed a few years younger than her companion, and carried herself with the same confidence, but she appeared to be a bit more focused on her surroundings than on her musings. She was small in stature, yet had a gorgeous figure. Her blonde hair and blue eyes gave her a look that many a model or actress would happily kill for, heck, she could have been one at some point.

_I'm not sure why… but these two seem familiar. I don't believe that I've met either of them in person, yet I feel as if I've seen their faces before._ Sister McKinney shook herself from her thoughts. This was not the time to gape at her visitors; that would be extremely rude. "Welcome to St. Mary's Home for Orphaned Children. I am Sister Evangeline McKinney, how may I help you?"

The woman smiled and responded, "Hello Sister, my name is Susan Richards and this is my husband, Reed. We were hoping to visit and, perhaps, adopt a child."

Sister McKinney could have hit herself for her poor memory. _Now I remember, they are members of that American group, the Fantastic Four. I had even attended a few of Dr. Richards' lectures when I was in the States a few years ago, and watched one on the television last week. _She shook her head and ended her inner self-berating. Any day someone came to adopt a child out of the goodness of their hearts was a happy day, she could always work on her memory problems later. "Wonderful! Please do come in, the children are all up and about." She gestured for the couple to enter. "Could I interest you in meeting with a few of the children? I could call them over if you'd like."

"Oh not at the moment," Reed spoke for the first time. "I would like to see how they interact with one another without the pressure of trying to impress someone else."

"_Reed_." Susan said, mock annoyed. "Do you always have to act like you're watching the Discovery channel? Couldn't you just say that you wanted to watch the kinds play with one another?"

"Honey, I simply wanted to –"

"I'm teasing you, dear. Though you might want to tone it down a bit around the kids…"

He chuckled. "I suppose I could try for _you_." Sister McKinney couldn't help but smile at their antics, apparently even brilliant scientists such as the esteemed Dr. Reed Richards had fault in some areas.

"If you would like to watch them play together, we could go into one of the rooms." Sister said. "A few of our younger girls are playing dress up in the living room. I believe the youngest member of our house is with them as well."

"That sounds like a good place to start." Reed answered. After all, Susan did mention that she wanted to adopt a younger child. _Most likely so she could be a mother longer_, he thought humorously. _Though I'm not stupid enough to tease her about that. I think I'll leave that to Johnny._

The pair followed her to the living room, where they were greeted by the sight of five or six young girls chattering and playing with a giggling baby boy. Various articles of clothing were scattered around the group, but none bothered to clean up the mess. The girls were to busy trying to figure out what outfit he would look 'cutest in' next. While most babies might get annoyed at being used as a plaything, he seemed to enjoy the attention that he received.

Susan smiled as she watched the girls pick out a new outfit for their personal clothing model. But her smile vanished when she began to think about the situation the innocent baby was in. His parents were either gone from this world or… no. Surely no parent would leave such a young baby in an orphanage.

"Sister," she said. "Can I ask how a baby came into your care? Did he lose his parents?" _Please, please don't say it's option two._ Susan knew what it was like to grow up after one parent died, she didn't want to think about the possibility of being abandoned.

Sister McKinney's expression darkened. "_No_," she spat. "He was abandoned by his parents, because it was 'inconvenient' to have another child."

Reed eyes widened. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I wish this were a joke, sir. But his parents left him here a month ago. They even had the audacity to leave instructions that he be kept here for eleven years so they could reclaim him!" It was safe to say that her anger towards the Potter adults had still not settled.

Reed turned and looked at the boy. He didn't understand the logic of leaving a baby in an orphanage. _Even if they can't raise another child, wouldn't having a family member or friend take care of him make more sense? And what could they possibly mean inconvenient? It sounds more like they were afraid that he'd take away from their time in the public eye or something._ It didn't add up, this was one equation that even Mr. Fantastic couldn't solve. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Susan was walking toward the baby. "Sue?"

She ignored his unasked question and turned to the nun, "May I hold him?" The nun nodded, giving her consent, and Susan continued toward the group in the living room. She stopped a few feet behind them, not wanting to frighten them by sneaking up on them too much.

"Excuse me," she said, the girls turned to see who had interrupted their fun. "Hi, I'm Susan. Would it be ok if I held your friend?"

"His name is Hawrry," said Elizabeth. Even though she only looked about three or four, Susan felt as if she was being sized up by the young girl; as if trying to assess whether or not she was a threat.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know his name. May I hold Harry?"

Elizabeth seemed to think for a moment. Susan seemed nice enough and didn't get mad at her for being hesitant. "Ok. But don't drop him!" But that didn't mean that she wasn't going to leave her surrogate little brother with total strangers. Harry was _hers_, and no one was taking him unless _she_ gave approval.

Susan smiled, a bit nervous. "I won't drop him, I promise. I'll sit on the couch to make sure I don't." _Why do I feel like I'm meeting Reed's parents all over again?_

She reached down and gently lifted Harry into her arms. When Harry looked into her eyes, with a level of happiness and innocence that only a child could have, she nearly melted. She began to entertain him, making funny faces and baby noises that made him squeal in delight. She didn't even notice that her husband had sat down next to her to observe. She was in her own little world with baby Harry, the beautiful smile on her face was evidence of that.

Reed grinned. He knew that look all too well. _I might as well ask Sister McKinney to bring out the adoption papers right now._ He looked at Susan and caught her attention. She smiled and nodded. _No words needed for this decision_, he thought. _She would adopt him even if I said no. Not that I would have. It's as if he charmed- wait a minute._ He stood up and made his way back across the room to the nun. "Sister," he asked in a hushed tone. "I apologize if this sounds rude, but is it possible that Harry is a mutant?"

Her brows furrowed at his question. "It is possible that he may very well be a mutant. Is that a problem?"

_Brilliant,_ he berated himself. _Once again my bluntness shows itself._ "No, not at all. I was just curious, as there have been many new mutants that have shown up in the last few years."

She sighed in relief, happy that she didn't have to deal with one of those pig-headed, anti-mutant fools. "Forgive me for sounding so angry, but I grow tired of dealing with the periodic visits from those bigots. I can't quite understand why they're so set on their 'mutant control' doctrine." _It sounds more like they're trying to brand mutants like cattle rather than protect non-mutants._

"No need to apologize, it's my fault really. I didn't mean to be so blunt, I just felt that it would be important to have full knowledge of his condition before we adopted him."

"Oh? You've already made your decision?" _That was quick_. "Don't you think that it might be best for you to talk with your wife before –."

"Sister," Susan interrupted from her place on the couch. "I agree with my husband, _both_ of us want to adopt Harry."

Sister McKinney lead them to her office in a daze. She'd never seen a couple make a decision that quick, especially without some verbal discussion. She pulled out the required forms and handed them to the smiling couple.

After finishing the forms, Reed paused. _Sister said that his parents abandoned him… Perhaps he deserves a new name, one not tainted by his birth parents._ "Sister, would it be possible to change Harry's name?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have the form on my desk. What would you like to change his name to?"

He turned to Susan and asked, "What about your father? We could call him Franklin."

Susan beamed at him. "Yes! That sounds great! But, what would his middle name be?"

"Benjamin," he responded with a grin. "For our friend Ben Grimm."

One form later, the Richards family, plus one new member, bade Sister McKinney goodbye and left for the airport. They had a flight to catch.

"Sista'," Elizabeth called. "Where's Hawrry goin'?"

Sister McKinney paused as she thought of a way to explain Harry's adoption to his surrogate older sister. "Harry… was adopted by that nice couple, dearie. They're taking him home."

Elizabeth smiled at this, she was happy that Harry was with nice people. Her face fell when she realized that she didn't have her 'baby brother' anymore. She looked to Sister McKinney with tears in her eyes and asked, "Will I ever see him again?"

"… Perhaps someday," she responded. "Right now, all we can do is hope."

**Scene Change – Hogwarts**

Albus Dumbledore looked up in shock as one of the gizmos on his desk let out a high-pitched whistle. _That was the proximity charm on St. Mary's._ _It should only go off if he left or if… he was adopted._ A grin spread across the old man's face. He quickly grabbed a piece of parchment and his quill and wrote a letter to Sister McKinney. He had to know if Harry was adopted. He _needed_ to know that Harry was with a good family!

He finished his letter and turned to face the magnificent phoenix that rested on the perch near his desk. "Fawkes," he called to his trusted familiar and friend. "My friend, I need you to take this letter to Sister McKinney. After you deliver it, could you please remain there until she replies?"

Fawkes let out a happy, musical trill and flew over to his bonded human. He waited until the letter was securely fastened to him and flamed out of the office. Albus chuckled, _Fawkes seems to be as hopeful as I am. I do hope she replies soon._

A mere half-hour later, several students witnessed their Headmaster walk through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts with a large grin on his face. They could only conclude that either he had found a new muggle sweet or that he had just received some incredible news.

**Scene Change – Baxter Building, New York City, NY**

A large hulking figure sat on the coach and casually flipped through the channels. _Ugh, why does it seem like there's nothin' worth watchin' these days? And what the heck is takin' stretch and Sue so long to get back?_ Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, was bored. Ben had been changed in the same space accident that mutated the rest of his teammates, but his had been the most bizarre. His skin was now colored a dark orange and had become as hard as rock, his hands now had only three fingers each, and he had gained incredible strength to go along with it all. There's a reason they called it 'clobberin' time' when The Thing was angry.

_This place is way too quiet. I mean, I'm glad that Johnny's out with… Whoever his new squeeze is, so he won't drive me crazy, but without Sue or Reed, there's no one to talk to here. Unless I go out to a bar, and there's no freakin' way I'm dealing with the fans all by myself again._ Even though his mutation had given him a frightening appearance, Ben was still hounded for autographs or photos by fans of the Fantastic Four. It was bad enough that he hated crowds _before_ the accident.

He was jarred from his boredom when he heard the door to the living room slide open, he turned to greet his friends, when he noticed the bundle in Susan's arms. His eyes widened when he realized just what that bundle was.

"Hey, Ben," Reed greeted his longtime friend with a grin. "How's the place been without us?"

Ben snapped out of his daze. "Hey Reed, hey Sue," he replied. "Between Johnny being Johnny and havin' no one to talk to, I gotta say I'm glad you're back. One question, though –"

"Hey there sis!" a loud voice called from the doorway. "How was London? Didja bring me anything." Johnny Storm strode into the living room with his arms around an attractive young woman. Let it not be said that The Human Torch didn't like to party.

Reed smiled and shook his head as Susan whipped around and answered her younger brother. "Shhh! Johnny you'll wake Franklin!"

Johnny paused to process what his sister just said. "Uh… sis. Ya mind tellin' me how you have a kid when you were never…. Ya know?"

"Oh for heavens sake Johnny! We adopted him!"

"You adopted him?" Johnny asked in mock indignation. "And you didn't take _me_ when the newest addition to our wonderful little family was met?"

"Johnny," Reed cut in. "We found Franklin in an orphanage in London after my last lecture was over. We couldn't exactly call you to get your stamp of approval."

"I know that! I was only teasin'. Man, I'm finally an uncle! I've got so much I've gotta teach him! I'll show him how to ride a dirt bike, how to surf, and, most importantly, how to talk to the ladies!"

"Match head!" Ben said. "You're not turnin' the kid into a clone of you! One's more than enough."

"Oh Benny, such compliments." Johnny Storm grinned, he loved riling Ben up. _And it's only a matter of time before I've got you doin' the same, Frankie boy!_ Johnny mentally cackled at that thought.

"Grrr. Whatever!" Ben gave up on this one. "Wait a minute. Why was a baby in an orphanage? What happened to his parents?"

Reed's eyes suddenly narrowed in anger. "They abandoned him." He replied.

Ben gaped. That wasn't what he was expecting. He started to say something when the group heard a loud sizzling sound coming from Johnny's direction. They turned and saw steam rising from his hands, with a small flicker of flame.

"_Amy_," he hissed. "I'm gonna need to reschedule our date. We need to have a little team meeting." The now named Amy nodded and quickly fled the scene. The Human Torch, even with his normally laid back attitude, was still a frightening figure. She did _not_ want to see what he did when he was angry.

"Explain, now!" he said venomously. After hearing the details, Johnny's temper flared even more. "I'll be on the roof… I need to cool off a bit." He stormed from the room and headed for the stairwell. He didn't want to accidentally melt the elevators.

Susan moved as if to follow him when a massive, orange hand stopped her. "I'll go talk to him." Ben said.

"Ben, it's ok. I can handle Johnny."

"No, you put Franklin to bed and relax. I'll calm him down." With that, Ben walked out of the room and made for the stairs.

Susan sighed and looked at Reed. "At least they like him."

Reed couldn't help but chuckle. "That's what you were worried about? I thought that I might melt if Johnny got a little hotter!" This drew a laugh from Susan as she started to walk toward the bedroom. Ben did have a point, Franklin was exhausted after such a long plane ride.

**Scene Change – Roof**

Johnny wasn't having any luck calming himself down. His thoughts kept drifting back to his new nephew and _them_. He had never met them, but he already wanted to fry them.

"Do ya mind if I join ya?" Ben's voice called from the stairwell.

Johnny didn't even bother turning to face Ben. "I don't get it. Who… no, what kind of parent tosses a kid aside like that?" He said, in angst. "Even our dad wasn't that bad after mom… "

"I dunno, but I'm not worryin' about them, and neither should you." Johnny looked up. "Sue and Reed adopted the kid, it doesn't matter who his birth parents are. Sue's his mom, Reed's his dad, and you're his fun lovin', rule breakin' uncle. You said it when you first saw him and you know it's the truth. It's up to all of us to look after him and raise him right."

Johnny took a moment to think about what Ben said. _Uncle Johnny, huh? I think I can get used to that._ Suddenly, he grinned. "You're absolutely right, Benny boy! So as my first order of business as the 'fun lovin', rule breakin' uncle' I'm gonna make it so Franklin's first bedtime story with us is about you and a certain pair of purple pants!" Johnny ran off laughing, with Ben hot on his heels.

"GET BACK HERE MATCH HEAD! I'M GONNA KNOCK YOU INTO NEXT YEAR!" Some things never change.

**Chapter End**

**Wow that chapter was long. Though it might be due to the responses I put in the beginning… oh well.**

**Next time: It's been five years since Harry, now Franklin, was brought into the Richards family and he's having some very odd dreams. Dreams about four kids with strange powers, and they seem to be very real. What could these dreams possibly mean? More importantly, is Franklin a mutant like his parents?**

**I'll leave you with that. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Harry Potter**_** series or any of the Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**Well, I'm back again. More and more people have read the story so I'll start off by thanking all of you. Now, before I get to my responses, I was informed by a reader that they were told that authors weren't supposed to name others in their chapters as I did in my first response. I would like to apologize if I upset anyone by doing so, and I would like to sincerely thank the person that warned me. While I won't be able to respond to your reviews individually, I'll do a little bit before each chapter.**

**To start out, thank you all for your input! It really helps to get multiple opinions. I will definitely be introducing other Marvel characters in the story, the Power Pack has had run ins with the likes of the X-Men, Iron Man, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four throughout their series. We'll meet a few of them as we go on. Harry will be going to Hogwarts later on, but I can't say much on that without giving out a major spoiler. For now, let's just say it's not going to be a happy reunion for the Potters, their friends, and our young friend. Speaking of Harry/Franklin, he will have the Marvel canon powers of Franklin Richards. I will provide a link for the website that lists these powers, but first I feel that I need to make this clear: in canon, Franklin has trouble controlling his powers early on. The only ones he has constant access to when he meets the Pack are his prophetic dreams and something similar to astral projection, his other powers are released violently and randomly when he loses control of his emotions. Here is the link: /universe/Richards%2C_Franklin. A couple of people have said that they would like little Elizabeth to meet up with Harry later on because they liked her in her limited scene time. I was thinking of doing something like that, I'll work on how I do it so I don't ruin her character. I'm glad people seem to be liking Johnny's debut and reaction to Harry. I wanted to show that while Johnny is the comedic relief of the Four, he is not someone you want to mess with, ESPECIALLY when Franklin is involved. As far as 'who are the Power Pack and what is their story', they're going to make their debuts very soon. The pairing for this story is Harry (who will be called Franklin in the story) and Katie Power, no Harry/Katie/Gabby. **

**Well, it looks like some people like the story! Don't worry, I won't be abandoning the story and leave you all hanging. I might take a short break to brainstorm or to deal with school but that would be it. If this happens, I'll let you know at the end of the chapter.**

**Chapter 1: Johnny's in Trouble! Auntie Agatha Pays a Visit**

**New York City, New York; 5 Years Later…**

"But mommy, I wanna have hair like you!" Franklin whined.

Reed looked on in amusement as his son tried to pull the kicked puppy pout on his wife, it wasn't funny only because he could tell that Susan was having trouble resisting, it was the fact that the look was being used by a five year old with reality warping powers. Reality warping powers that were _unstable_.

Yes, Franklin turned out to be a mutant, but not a run of the mill mutant; he showed incredible power at the age of three. The Fantastic Four had accompanied Agatha Harkness, a powerful witch who had lived through the Salem Witch Trials, to her home after she helped them defeat the Frightful Four. She took a shine to Franklin, agreeing to help look after him when she realized who his parents were and what dangers might befall him if he were left unguarded.

But, even the ancient maid had ghosts from the past that desired her destruction, though hers was possibly the worst. Her own son, Nicholas Scratch, had taken control of New Salem, Colorado, a village that she once lead, and conned the citizens into believing that Agatha had betrayed them by siding with the Fantastic Four. He and the Salem Seven, who were his children, kidnapped Agatha and Franklin and brought the pair back to New Salem to be executed. The Fantastic Four attempted to rescue them, but they too were captured. It was then that Franklin's powers awoke. His fear triggered a vast psychic wave that allowed the Four and Agatha to escape their bonds and confront Scratch for a final showdown. He and his children would be exiled from New Salem and banished to another dimension by his own mother.

To help Franklin keep his powers in check, Reed developed psychic inhibitors to dampen his powers enough that they wouldn't run wild whenever he lost control of his emotions. 'Aunt Agatha', as Franklin called her, had moved back to New Salem, but still came by to help him learn control since his powers were somewhat similar to magic, mainly in that they were connected to his emotions. _I still can't thank her enough for helping him out_. Reed thought.

It had been five years since he had joined the family, and he ended up being much smarter than any of the Four could have possibly imagined. Of course, growing up around Reed Richards had a lot to do with it; the man had turned learning into a game for his son. Franklin was already getting into some upper level mathematics, which prompted Johnny to lament his young nephew's "turn to the Dark Side". With that being said, it wasn't much of a surprise when Franklin told them that he knew he was adopted on his fifth birthday, the conversation that followed had been a bit awkward.

Which leads us back to the present conversation, Franklin wanted to dye his hair blond because he "wanted to look like his _real _mommy." Reed chuckled, _I think if Sue wasn't so vehemently against the idea, she'd have melted when she heard how he emphasized that _she_ was his real mother._

Susan closed her eyes in an attempt to soothe her growing headache, _Note to self: Kill Johnny for teaching him that girls dyed their hair to get the look they wanted._ _Second note: Why is it that __**every**__ young child seems to know when to use that damnable look?_ "Franklin, for the last time, you aren't dying your hair! You look fine the way you are!"

Franklin huffed angrily. _Ok, puppy dog eyes are a no go. Time to change tactics._ Surprisingly, Johnny couldn't be blamed for Franklin's devious nature. Pranking, however, had Johnny's influence all over it. _I guess I'll have to use the real reason I want my hair dyed. It's low, but I _really_ don' wanna look like… _them.

He sniffled and his eyes shined with unshed tears. "B-But mommy… I wanna look like… like you. I-I d-don' wanna look anythin' like _them_!"

Susan seemed to falter at that, Franklin was stubborn, but this was taking it to a totally different level. _Could it be that he's hurt that he looks like his birth parents? Does he hate looking in a mirror and seeing a face that cast him aside?_

Sensing that his wife was about to give in, Reed cut in. "Franklin, your mother said no." Franklin opened his mouth to protest. "Stop arguing and listen to me. We love you exactly how you are, it doesn't matter how you look."

Franklin hung his head. "I know, but I don' like lookin' different…"

"How about this," Susan said. "We'll leave this alone for now and wait until you're older. Say… eleven? Then you can talk to us about it if you still feel the same."

Franklin considered his options. _Six years is a long time, but they said that it might be ok then. It's probably gonna be the best deal I'll get._ "Ok," he said, clearly disappointed. "I won' ask again until I'm 'leven." _I'll just write it somewhere so I don' forget._ He had absolutely no intention of letting opportunity get away from him.

Susan smiled. "Come on, give me a hug, you silly little boy." Franklin's pout immediately vanished and were replaced with a huge grin as he ran to get his hug. He might be a genius (for a five year old), but he was still a proud momma's boy. "Now go play while we wait for Uncle Johnny to get here, he was looking forward to taking you out to the park today."

Franklin's eyes lit up in excitement and he raced off to his room. Whenever "Unca' Johnny" came to visit, they had a lot of fun. Last time, he'd learned how to trick "Unca' Ben" into smearing shaving cream on his face while sleeping. While Franklin was spared Ben's wrath, Johnny wasn't so fortunate. _He still flinches any time I mention swimmin'._

Reed waited a few minutes so his son wouldn't hear him before turning to his wife with a knowing grin. "Be honest. How close were you to giving in when he said he wanted to look like you."

Susan groaned. _I'll never hear the end of this, especially when he tells Johnny and Ben._ "You have no idea. If you hadn't stepped in we'd probably be in the car on the way to a barber shop right now."

Reed laughed, it was no secret that Franklin had Susan wrapped around his finger the moment she laid eyes on him. _I'll just save this for the next time she teases me for zoning out when I'm thinking._

Susan glared at him. "Don't laugh, _dear_. I'm not the one who built him a high tech robot playmate so 'he wouldn't get bored'."

_Or not_. He sulked. He could never win an argument like this with his wife. He might have a PhD. and the technology to open wormholes into other dimensions, but when it came to family life, Susan ruled. No question about that.

"Heya, Sis'!" Johnny's voice boomed from the doorway. "Where's my favorite little nephew?"

Susan rolled her eyes. "He's in his room, waiting for you. Do you have to be so loud when you enter a room?" _Would it still be consider hopeless for me to keep praying for him to mature past sixth grade?_

Johnny waved her off. "Oh come on, sis'! I'm just excited to spend time with Frankie boy! You should really be thankful that I didn't go with my original plan of singing as I entered." _She would've murdered me if I did that._ He mused.

Susan opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by her son's joyful shout. "UNCA' JOHNNY!" He ran and jumped into his Uncle's arms, holding on as tight as possible.

Johnny smirked as he watched Susan fume quietly. As long as he held Franklin, he was safe from his sister's wrath. Oh there would be retribution later, but only if she could catch him. _I happen to like those odds a lot better._ "Hey there, Frankie boy! Ya ready to head to Central Park?" He asked, every bit as excited as Franklin. He enjoyed every moment he got to spend time with his nephew, even if he wasn't _technically_ his nephew by blood.

Franklin nodded rapidly. "Yeah! Can we go to Centra' Park Zoo Unca' Johnny?" If there was one thing Franklin loved, it was seeing the many animals housed in the famed Central Park Zoo, especially the snow leopards.

Johnny mock scoffed. "Can we? Come on, Frankie, what kind of uncle would I be if I didn't take my favorite nephew in the whole wide world to his favorite place in Central Park? I think you have me confused for some lame, uncool uncle who is totally _not_ me."

Franklin laughed as he finished. _Hangin' out with Unca' Johnny's always fun! 'Specially when he teaches me stuff!_

"Not to be a downer, Johnny," Reed said. "But please _try_ to act your age this time."

"What are ya talkin' about, bro' in law?"

"Oh, nothing. Just one request: this time don't set anything on fire."

"Aww, you're no fun!" Last time Johnny took Franklin to the zoo had been New Year's Eve when he was three. Johnny decided to make the night memorable by setting off the fireworks in Central Park a bit early. The police weren't nearly as thrilled as Franklin.

"Oh, one more thing," Susan said, remembering one last minute detail. "Make sure you boys are back here no later than four. Miss Har –"

"Don't worry about a thing, oh dear sister of mine! I'll have my oh so precious nephew back here safe and sound. Dontcha trust me?" Not waiting for an answer, Johnny lifted Franklin up onto his shoulders and carried the laughing boy to the elevator.

Sue and Reed shared a look; Johnny was up to something. Nothing that would endanger Franklin, Johnny would die before doing something that stupid. But neither could shake the feeling that they had a massive headache coming their way. A headache the likes of which, only the Human Torch could cause.

**Scene Change – Central Park Zoo, New York City, New York**

Franklin was having the time of his young life. He was sitting on top of his Unca' Johnny's shoulders while watching the Snow Leopards. He laughed as he watched two cubs run and wrestle with one another. It was times like this where he wished that he had someone his age to run and play with, but it was dangerous for him to be alone. _Mommy and Daddy are still scared of me gettin' kidnapped again…_

"Hey, Frankie." Johnny said, causing him to look down. "I heard you and your parents talkin' about you wantin' to dye your hair before I came to pick you up." That's right. Unbeknownst to the Richards adults, Johnny hid behind the door and listened in on the conversation, and began to plan his next prank. Of course, it required cooperation from his favorite partner in crime.

"Yeah," Franklin responded, hanging his head as he remembered. Even though his parents hadn't said no _completely_, he was still upset that he had to wait longer to have the same hair color as his _real_ _mommy_. "I don' understand why they want me to wait. I just wanna look like mommy…"

"Well… I wasn't supposed to tell you this nephew, but I'm the reason they said no." Franklin's eyes widened. "Oh no, I don't mean that I said that you shouldn't dye your hair. The real reason that your mom said no is… that I was planning to take you to get your hair dyed for your next birthday present." _Well, it is true. But I didn't plan on telling them __before__ we had it dyed. _

"Really?" _This is great! I knew there had to be a reason they said no!_

"Would I lie to my favorite nephew?" _Well, technically I am since your mother doesn't know of my plans… and won't until it's too late!_ Johnny cackled mentally. "Come on, I know a great hair place on East 53rd Street." The duo exited the park and headed off to their destination. _Sue's gonna kill me,_ _but the look on her face is totally gonna be worth it!_

**Scene Change – 4:30 P.M. New York City, New York**

Ben and Reed cowered as Susan paced in front of the door, waiting to tear in to her irresponsible little brother. They had a visitor that came to see Franklin and he was running late… again!

_Johnny, you have five seconds to get here or I swear I'll- _Suddenly, a small blond boy raced across the room and latched onto Susan's legs, laughing all the way.

"Mommy, mommy, look!" Franklin said, grinning widely. "Unca' Johnny took me to get my hair dyed like you said he could! See! Now we have the same hair!" He was right, Johnny had helped find the exact shade of blond to make Franklin's hair match Susan. For just a fraction of a second, Susan considered not killing Johnny and _thanking _him for making her son so happy… But then it clicked.

"_Just like you said"… Johnny, you are so dead when Franklin leaves this room!_ Susan raged. She forced herself to smile at her son. "That's…. great sweetie. Now why don't you run along to your room while _dear_ Uncle Johnny and I have a little _talk_."

Franklin's eyes widened and his grin grew even more (none were sure how he managed it), he had forgotten who was coming today! _Auntie's here! _He sprinted down the hallway and toward his room, shouting "Auntie!" all the way.

Susan then rounded on Johnny, who felt the room temperature drop about twenty degrees, "_Johnny!_ How unbelievably stupid can you be! Just when I thought I'd seen you do it all, you _lie_ to my son and dye his hair after we told him not to? What the _Hell_ were you thinking?" Johnny opened his mouth to defend himself but was cut off. "Don't you dare answer! And after going against our decision, you have the audacity to bring him back late! I told you we had a visitor today!"

Johnny gulped and tried to think of the best way to cool his sister's temper. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Wait a minute, she can't kill me if we have a guest! I just have to survive long enough to get outta dodge and hide out for a few days._ Johnny stuttered out his response, "N-now sis', like ya said we do have company so… uh… how about we just let this go for now, and we'll talk about this when they leave. I'm sure whoever it is doesn't want to see us all arguin' about a little misunderstandin'-"

"Oh is that so _Jonathan_?" an elderly voice said from the hallway.

_Oh God, please not her_, Johnny thought as he whirled around to see who it was. Well, as luck would have it, Johnny's worst fears were realized. Before him stood an elderly woman wearing a long-sleeved magenta dress with a purple shawl, she held a black tabby cat in her arms. This was Agatha Harkness, tutor and beloved, honorary _Auntie_ of Franklin Richards. _Oh man, there's no way I'm talkin' myself outta this one._

"M-Miss Harkness, w-what a surprise! H-How are you tod-"

"I did not give you permission to speak, _Jonathan_!" She snapped, before continuing. "There I was, waiting in my pupil's room for his return from a fun day at Central Park with his _dear_ uncle, when I saw a blond child run into the room to give me a hug. Imagine my surprise when I found that he was in fact _my pupil_ and he was told that you had his parents' permission to dye his hair, while I know for a fact that they had said that he was to _wait_ to do so. Whatever were you thinking, boy?"

_Yeah, there's no way outta this. Time to cut my losses and run._ "Uh… well look at the time! I've got a…uh… date with Lisa in twenty and I'd hate to be late so I'll have to catch ya later guys!" He tried to run for the door, but was stopped after three paces by an invisible wall.

"Where do you think you're going, _Johnny_?" Susan hissed. "It's time you learn a lesson about the example you've been setting for my son." The two women advanced on him, grinning wickedly as they cooked up some form of vengeance for the wayward uncle. He screamed and tried frantically to get to the door, but to no avail. _This is so not my day!_

**Ten minutes later**

Agatha and Franklin were sitting on the couch in the living room. Franklin was confused when he heard his uncle begging for mercy, but he figured it was probably best if he stayed out of it. Johnny may be his favorite uncle, but there was a huge difference between love and stupidity, and he refused to cross that line.

"Franklin," Agatha began. "You know what you did today was wrong, do you not?" _I may love the boy as if he were one of my own, but I am still bound to teach him responsibility for his actions._

Franklin hung his head in shame and sniffed. "I'm sorry, Auntie. I thought Unca' Johnny was tellin' the truth when he said that he asked mommy and daddy, hones'! I was gonna wait like daddy said, I thought it was jus' Unca' Johnny bein' nice…"

Agatha sighed. _Wonderful, now I feel terrible for lecturing him. I suppose it is not technically his fault, he is simply too trusting of others._ "I suppose I cannot fault you for believing your uncle, Franklin. But you should not do what others say just because they seem nice, especially when they go against what your parents say."

"Ok… I won' be bad anymore. I'll do what mommy and daddy say from now on…" He said, still very upset with himself. He may like having fun, but he hated when his parents were mad at him.

"Very good, very good." She said, nodding. Suddenly, a wicked grin formed on her face. "Now that you understand, your parents and I decided that while we cannot necessarily punish _you_ since you did what your uncle told you, Jonathan, however, can be punished for lying to you." As she finished, she gestured to the hallway where Reed and Ben stood grinning. Johnny's voice came calling out in what seemed like panic.

"Ah, come on, guys! This is so unnecessary! It was all in good fun, no one even got hurt! Can't we talk about-" He was cut off as an invisible force shoved him into the room. Franklin's eyes widened, this was _not_ what he expected.

Johnny Storm wasn't physically harmed, for the most part. He was dressed in a long, frilly dress, complete with matching high heels, but that wasn't what caught Franklin's eyes. Johnny's hair had been dyed fluorescent pink!

Johnny glared as the occupants of the room, fell about laughing, even Agatha wasn't bothering to hide her amusement! He'd never expected that his sister would prank him to get back at him. Anything else had just gotten him a "stern lecture", this was just embarrassing.

Franklin then managed to stop laughing long enough to ask, "So does this mean that now I have an Auntie Johnny too?"

The adults laughed louder, even Johnny had to crack a smile at his nephew. _Fine, I guess it's fine as long as this doesn't get -_

**FLASH**! Johnny spun around in horror, only to see his sister grinning while holding up a camera. He groaned. _I take it back, this sucks. I'm never gonna be able to live this down._

**Chapter End**

**There you have it! Chapter 1 is done! A few people seemed eager for me to update. I had some fun writing this chapter, though I have to dedicate it to my little brother since he's the Johnny of our family!**

**Review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the **_**Harry Potter **_**series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**Ok, sorry it took a while to update but I had a lot of stuff going on between work, family stuff, hockey games, and watching the Stanley Cup Finals (hey, what do you expect? I did say I was a hockey fanatic). As an apology, I've made this chapter longer than the last ones. This is actually intended to be a multi-part chapter, but I've combined two parts into one. **

**Anyways, it seems that a lot of people like the story so far so we're going to press on. Right now, we're about to delve into the Marvel Universe for a while, so you'll get exposed to some rather imaginative story lines to say the least. One of the earlier reviews I received asked me who the Power Pack kids were and what their story was. Well, you're about to find out! This chapter is dedicated to Marvel's youngest superhero team! **

**After looking back at the chapter, I really didn't do justice to the description of how the Power Pack's suits looked. So, to atone for my failure, here's the link to a picture of them: . **

**Ok, I feel much better after fixing my errors. Here's the first and second installments of Power Pack Origins! Enjoy!**

*** = canon dialogue from the **_**Power Pack **_**miniseries: Power Pack Day One. Used because it explains a lot about their origins**

{Alien language}

"Computer speech"

**Chapter 2 Power Pack Origins Part 1:The Powers Move In**

**Hudson Valley, New York**

A twelve year old blond boy grunted as he lifted yet another one of his dad's contraptions. The oldest of the Power children, Alex, hated moving. Sure, he understood that being an inventor wasn't exactly a stable job, but he hoped that his dad might be able to keep the family in one place. _At least this is the last box. _He thought. _It's taken us three months to get all this junk unpacked and put away._

Alex sighed in frustration as he turned and carried the omni-, uh, vacuum thing with four hoses out of the moving van. He hated that he left his friends behind right when he was beginning to feel comfortable around everybody, though not so much as he hated that this was the third time the family had moved since his youngest sister, Katie, was born.

"Alex," his mom called. "Be careful with the omni-hoov! Your dad's still set on finding a manufacturer for it. Despite the fact that none seem to have any interest in it…" She muttered the last part under her breath. Alex nodded and continued walking up the driveway toward their beachfront house.

Margaret Power brushed her red hair out of her face and shook her head. She loved her husband dearly, but sometimes his inventions didn't have much realistic use. _What is he hoping to accomplish with a four-hosed, automatic vacuum cleaner anyways?_

Alex began walking up the driveway, only half paying attention where he was going as he looked at what his siblings were doing.

Julie, his ten-year-old sister, had her nose buried in a book. Like Alex, she had trouble meeting new people at first, so she often stayed quiet and read. The young red head preferred to be in a world of fantasy than face being 'the new kid' again. It would be hard enough when the school kids started making fun of her for being smart and liking books.

Their seven-year-old brother, Jack, was a completely different story. The younger Power brother loved being the center of attention and had a hobby of stirring up trouble. His messy brown hair was jammed beneath a baseball cap as he attempted to show off to the neighborhood kids. He had a tendency to be a bit brash and wild, he was definitely the 'action now, think later' child of the family.

"Sure, I might look scary to you since I'm a new kid in the neighborhood," he told the crowd of younger kids. "But let me tell you the main reasons you should make Jack Power your new best friend. One, I'm fun to be around. Two, I'm good at sports…"

_Yeah,_ Alex mused. _He really needs to learn to tone it down if he wants to make real friends. He'll learn… I hope._

Katie, the youngest of the siblings, was playing with her favorite stuffed pony, Starbright, under the shade of a tree. At five years old, she was every bit the baby of the Power family. Her blond hair was fastened into twin pigtails near the top back part of her head. Katie dealt with the constantly moving lifestyle better than her siblings since she really didn't have much of a social life to begin with. While she appeared to be a typical naïve five-year-old girl, she, like Julie, was advanced for her age. She was already able to read and write at a near third grade level, but she tended to hide it. Who needed the extra attention? She just wanted to play with her animals.

Alex was jarred from his observations when he stepped on a stray machine part and lost his balance. With a shout of surprise, he fell down, accidentally switching on the omni-hoov. _This can't be good_, he thought as it whirred to life, flailing its hoses around as it searched for a mess to clean.

Julie was fully engrossed in reading _The Hunting of the Snark_. She vaguely heard some strange noise from the driveway, but that didn't matter to her. Right now, she was living Lewis Carroll's fictional world, imagining herself standing beside the bellman as he leads his crew in their pursuit of a snark. Right as she was about to turn the page, her book was ripped from her grasp by the powerful suction of the omni-hoov. She jumped up and ran to save her precious book. "Oh come on!" She cried. "I was just getting to the good part!"

The omni-hoov zoomed off in Katie's direction as the older Power kids chased after it. _This day just keeps getting worse_, they thought as they tried to shout warnings to their youngest sibling. She wouldn't be happy if Starbright got messed up by one of their mistakes again.

Katie didn't hear her siblings' warnings. She was busy singing and grooming her little Starbright, without a care in the world. She wasn't happy about having to move, but she could still have fun when she started school. _Maybe I'll find a few girls my age to play with!_ She thought excitedly. _As long as Jack doesn't mess everything up._ Jack loved teasing his 'dumb, baby sister' and never seemed to miss an opportunity. She continued singing and began fastening a ribbon to her beloved pony when it was suddenly whisked away by a… vacuum? She spun around, only to see Starbright in the clutches of her dad's omni-hoov. "Starbright! Come back" She wailed as she scrambled after the rogue vacuum, trying to save her toy before it was ruined.

Meanwhile, Jack was still trying to show off his "skills" to the neighborhood kids. He slung a baseball bat over his shoulder to complete the cool, charismatic ball player look he was going for. He had just listed off the fourth reason that he would make a great friend ("I know all sorts of funny pranks.") when his hat was whipped off his head. He turned to find the culprit and groaned when he realized that his older brother had turned on his dad's "stupid vacuum thingy". "Aw, come on Alex!"

"Sorry everyone!" Alex said as he finally caught up to the vacuum and started searching for the switch. "The off switch should be right… there!" The omni-hoov turned off and relinquished its spoils, Katie and Julie sighed in relief when they found that nothing had been damaged. Though his hat was unharmed, Jack still fumed. _Well, that's more fun than I wanted to have today…_

"Alex," their mom called. He turned and noticed that she was holding a brown paper bag in her hand. "Your father forgot his lunch, again, could you take it down to the lab for me?"

He sighed. "Sure, let me get my bike out of the garage." _Dad may be brilliant, but he's the most absent-minded guy I've ever seen._ He took the bag, hopped on his bike and pedaled toward his destination as fast as he could. The lab was on the other side of town, he had a lot of ground to cover.

Alex let his mind wander as he sped toward his dad's lab. Hudson Valley wasn't bad, but it had nothing on his old hometown, Richmond, Virginia. He had spent nine years making friends; it was quite understandable that he was so hurt when he had to leave them. Little did he know, it was just the beginning of his family's new lifestyle. It was almost as if they were an old military family; move to a new place, stay for about a year or two, spend most of the time making new friends, move to the next base, and repeat. _The only difference_, he noted, _is that we replaced "base" with lab._

He shook his head to end this line of thought. Moping around wouldn't change anything, this was home now, the sooner he realized it the better. He came to a stop in front of a large iron gate with a guard post on the left side. A sign on the side read the following: HUDSON VALLEY NUCLEAR RESEARCH FACILITY. Needless to say, his dad was good at what he did.

He walked up to the guardsman and asked, "Excuse me, could I leave my bike here? I'm here to see Dr. Power."

"Sure kid," the guard answered. "You don't look like much of a security risk to me." Chuckling at his poor attempt to liven up his day, the guard opened the security gate and admitted Alex.

"Thanks," Alex muttered as he propped his bike against the side of the building. He then proceeded, bagged lunch in hand, to the main entrance.

As he passed through the sliding doors, he looked around for a directory to lead him to his father's specific lab. _Let's see. Anti-matter Research Lab 13… Someone has a wonderful sense of irony._ He continued down the hall toward his destination and came to a stop before a steel door with an intercom on the right side. Apparently, security was taken very seriously around here. He pushed the white call button and waited patiently for a response.

"Yes?" a slightly static sounding voice answered. _Oh good, at least he's paying attention to the world around him this time._

"Dad, it's Alex. You forgot your lunch again."

After a brief pause, no doubt due to his father trying to remember if he really did forget, Dr. Power replied, "Uh… So it seems. Haha, sorry about that son. I'll let you in." With that, unlocked the door and let Alex into Lab 13.

Alex took a moment to stare in awe at the huge machine before him. This was his father's baby, a nuclear powered anti-matter generator, code-named "The Annihilator". Fitting when you considered the fact that one miscalculation with anti-matter had the potential to destroy a planet.

Dr. James Power grinned at his son's astonished face. "She's a beauty isn't she?" He spoke lovingly, as if the machine were his fifth child. "This baby will give mankind the capability to make interstellar space travel possible! A small amount of anti-hydrogen, colliding with molecules of our hydrogen, and annihilating them… can create enough energy to shoot a spacecraft through the galaxy at 260,000 miles per hour!"*

Alex smiled and nodded, of exactly what his father said. _So… this stuff has the power to send people to other galaxies? Cool._ He was about to respond, when the steel door opened behind him. James Power's boss, Mr. Carmody, entered the room looking downright furious.

"POWER!" He yelled. "Why are you standing around talking? You should be running final preparations for the Annihilator's test run tomorrow!"

"M-Mr. Carmody, sir, my son brought me my lunch and I was just showing him…"

Mr. Carmody rounded on Alex. "Beat it, kid! The Annihilator is the only one of Dr. Power's creations that he should be spending time with!"

Alex dropped the bagged lunch onto a counter top and quickly vacated the lab, he didn't want to be the reason that this job fell through. Even if his dad's new boss was over reacting. He ran out of the building and grabbed his bike, intending to put as much distance between himself and the lab as possible. _I don't care what mom says, I'm not dealing with that jerk again._

**Later That Night**

The Power children were sleeping. Well, they were supposed to be sleeping. Alex was still awake, going through his school yearbooks to see pictures and notes from his old friends in Richmond. He always had a tendency to introvert when he met new people, preferring to hold onto the few good friends he had. He was just recalling a day at Bryan Park when he heard Katie's voice call out from the windowsill.

"Alex, look!" She said, pointing into the night sky. "Someone's shootin' lights all over the sky!"

Katie's call caught Julie and Jack's attention as well, which drew them to the window. They looked up and, sure enough, saw what appeared to be shooting stars racing back and forth across the sky. It was almost as if they were being fired at one another, but that was just silly.

"Katie," Julie said, smiling. "Those are shooting stars. They're way out in space, baby."

"But they look so pretty!" She whined. "Can we watch them? Please, please, please?"

Alex had to laugh at her attempt at a kicked puppy look, she always did that when she really wanted something. "Sure, Katie." He said. "But only for a little bit. You're supposed to be in bed, remember?" Katie grinned and ran out to the balcony, the rest of the siblings following calmly.

Jack grinned at his brother's attempt at being stern, he just couldn't resist tweaking Alex once tonight. "Ya' know, we're all supposed to be in bed, bro." He ducked a swipe from his older brother and stuck his tongue out at him before racing after Katie. Even if he did try to look cooler than everyone, shooting stars were still awesome in his book. After all, they only showed up every once in a while.

The Power kids looked on in awe as the stars continued their dance, they seemed to be coming from every direction. Almost as if someone was choreographing the entire display.

After about thirty minutes of star watching, Alex noticed his siblings starting to nod off. He walked back into the house to grab their sleeping bags. Even though he might be the oldest, he had no intention of making his brother and sisters miss this by making them come inside. They could just fall asleep whenever they decided to crash out.

Alex laid out on his sleeping bag and stared up into the sky. _How cool would it be to travel in space like dad said? We could see the Sun, get up close to a star, or even follow a comet on its path!_ He drifted off to sleep as he thought of the possibilities, unaware that his life, as well as his siblings', was about to change… forever.

**Power Pack Origins Part 2: Spaceships and Aliens and Kidnappings (Oh My!)**

The sound of something crashing into the Hudson Bay woke the Power siblings.

Julie looked around, it was still very dark out. Looking at her watch, she found that it was a bit past midnight. _Oh great, mom's going to kill us!_ She thought, before realizing why she was awake in the first place. She turned to look out to the Bay and saw… lights floating in the water. At first she thought it might be a yacht carrying a bunch of party going upper classmen, but then she made out the shape floating in the water. It looked much to rectangular in some areas for it to be a yacht.

"Uh, Alex," she said. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"You mean the house looking thing floating in the Bay?" he responded. "Yeah I see it. Yeah, but I don't believe it…"

Katie jumped up onto the railing to get a better view. She couldn't see over it otherwise. "Let's go see what it is." She said.

"No way," Alex said sternly. "We aren't going down there to see some strange floating… thing in the middle of the night! We don't even know who's inside of it!"

"Come on, Alex," Jack moaned. "Have a little fun. For once, the _stupid baby_ came up with a good idea." He ignored the glare Katie sent his way as he said the last part.

"I don't know…"

"But Alex," Katie said. "What if they need help? We can go down and see what's happenin' and then come back and get mommy and daddy to help them!"

Alex and Julie exchanged uncertain looks. Katie did have a point. If someone was in trouble, it wouldn't be right to leave them out in the middle of the Bay to drown. _Of course Katie picks now to have one of her brilliant moments_, Julie thought. _But, she's right… as she often is when she has one of these moments._

"Alright," she said. "We'll go down and check. Just for a minute though."

Katie cheered and ran back inside, somehow managing to be quiet enough not to wake their parents, and grabbed her shoes. Jack, Julie, and Alex followed at a more sedate pace. They really didn't want to have to explain this late night adventure to their parents. They snuck out the door and into the forest as quietly as they could, wondering what might await them when they got up close to the Bay.

**Hudson Bay – Shoreline **

Alex led his siblings to the beach as quickly as they could. Well, as quickly as they could considering he was carrying Katie so she didn't fall behind. They had been walking for nearly an hour and they were just now hearing the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. They were finally at the beach, now to see what on Earth had crashed.

Jack and Katie, who hopped out of Alex's arms, ran forward, each trying to be the first to the shoreline and see what was in the water. Alex and Julie rolled their eyes and ran after them, hoping to prevent the inevitable argument. When they had all arrived at their destination, they were shocked into silence. There, floating in the Hudson Bay, was a space ship.

It wasn't anything like the flying saucers that were seen in picture books. The ship's hull was colored white and had a rectangular shape, it's wings curved downward to give it a more sleek design (can't really say aerodynamic for a space ship), and the cockpit had polarized glass to protect its operator, or operators, from ultraviolet rays. Strangely enough, the ship didn't appear to have any visible weapons. Which could only mean one of two things: either it had run out of fuel and the pilot was forced to crash-land it in the Bay, or it was shot down. Judging by the few holes in the wings, the latter appeared more likely.

Suddenly, Alex recalled Katie's words from earlier. "_Someone's shootin' lights all over the sky!"_ His eyes widened. "Julie," he said. "You and Jack go back to the house and get mom and dad. I think we might be in trouble."

Julie frowned. "Why not just leave the beach then?"

"Because… I don't think this is the one we have to worry about. It's the ones that shot him down that are the bigger problem."

Julie and Jack paled as they realized what he meant. They weren't witnesses of an accident, they were in the middle of an interstellar battle! They ran back to the house as quickly as they could. If the other ones aren't here, they might be on their way. Or worse…

They might find the house.

As the pair disappeared from sight, Alex and Katie heard a grunt of exertion. They spun around and stared in wonder and slight fear.

The alien before them was about six feet tall, average size for an adult human male, and was garbed in a white uniform, with a strange symbol on the chest, metal wrist bands and boots. But its body structure was truly strange. It had a humanoid body shape, three fingered hands, and the head of a pure white horse.

The alien looked up and held out its hands in a peaceful gesture. "Fear not, younglings," it said in a male sounding voice. "I am not here to fight. I come with a warning for your people…"

**Hudson Valley – Power Family Residence**

Jack and Julie were nearing the house now, hoping they made it in time to save whoever was in the downed ship. Or to stop something from hurting their parents! As they neared the forest edge, Julie noticed something hovering above the house. She gasped when she realized that it was another space ship!

This looked completely different than the one floating in the Hudson. This ship was black and triangle shaped, the rockets were on the underside of the ship, and at the front, four cannons were mounted. _ Alex was right! These are the ones that are dangerous!_

As Julie grabbed Jack by the collar of his nightshirt and began to drag him back into the forest, a trio of aliens carrying large guns marched out of the house. These aliens looked as if they might be related to lizards; their skin was scaly and sickly green, their arms and legs were long and powerful, their hands and feet each had clawed digits, and long tails sprouted from their backside and lagged nearly three feet behind them. The aliens were hissing to each other in a strange language, they seemed to be arguing about something.

Julie motioned for Jack to follow her back into the forest, but he wasn't paying attention. His eyes were locked on the bundles he had just noticed that were slung over the shoulders of two of the aliens. They seemed oddly human shaped. Then it hit him, the bundles were his parents!

"Hey freak show!" He yelled. "Put my mom and dad down!"

The aliens looked up and snarled at the new intruder. They didn't have time to deal with some primitive loose ends, they raised their blasters and took aim at the Power duo, intending to make the rescue mission a short one.

Julie and Jack turned to run but stopped and stared when they saw Alex and Katie standing with another alien. The newcomer quickly jumped in between the kidnappers and the Power children, shielding them with his body.

"{Kymellian sorcerer!}" one of the lizard things yelled. "{You dare interfere with us!}"

The now named Kymellian stayed in place and glared at his opponents, refusing to move.

The lizards hissed. "{This is none of your business, Kymellian scum! These aliens are claimed as spoils by Queen Maraud herself! You cannot interfere without violating your non-interference laws! Do you choose to stand aside _voluntarily_ or do we have to make you?}"*

The Kymellian glanced down at Katie and noticed the fear in her eyes. _I'll not let them destroy an innocent youngling!_ He glared back at the lizard trio defiantly. "{I choose… Make me!}"*

"{Arrogant Kymellian!}" One shouted. "{Men, open fire!}" The three raised their weapons and began firing rapidly at the "Sorcerer".

The Kymellian snorted and held out his hand. A yellow ball of energy fomed in the palm of his hand and absorbed the plasma bolts his enemies were firing. "{Do not play innocent with me, scavenger!}" He said, as the energy ball glowed brighter. "{I know what your Queen is really up to. The Synod will not be pleased with her exploiting primitive species as pawns for her own conquests}"* He then fired a barrage of energy back at the lizard aliens, who were blown off their feet by the blasts.

One of them struggled to his feet and snarled. "{And you will not live long enough to spread lies about out-}" He was cut off as he noticed the Kymellian floating in air, along with the blasters. "{What the-}"

"{Perhaps. But without your weapons, you are nothing!}" He responded. Suddenly, his body shifted into a gaseous cloud state and he began to shroud the battlefield in a mist. "{While I who wield the four forces, am never defenseless!}" He turned to the Power children and addressed them in English. "Run, younglings! Follow the trail and escape while I have them blinded-"

"No way!" Jack yelled back as he grabbed a tree branch lying nearby. "These lizard freaks stole our parents! It's payback time!" He approached one of the lizards and raised the branch to strike, but his intended target rolled over and pointed a blaster at Jack's heart! It fired!

"NO!" The Kymellian shouted. His body was engulfed in a rainbow colored light as he crossed the clearing at speeds the human eye couldn't follow, he dove and used his body to take the blast intended for Jack! The plasma bolt went straight through the right side of his chest, he fell to the ground limply as the Power children looked on in horror. Their protector had fallen.

"{We are receiving a transmission from the Nestship!}" One of the lizards shouted. "{Fall back! The younglings have been deemed unnecessary by Queen Maraud! We have the scientist and his mate! That is enough! We risk detection if we tarry any longer!}"* They ran back to their ship and beamed themselves up, it wouldn't be a good idea to keep their Queen waiting.

Julie rounded on her younger brother. "Jack you moron! What did you do?"

The Kymellian sorcerer wheezed. "I have failed… now that Queen Maraud has your father… she will extract the plans for the Annihilator… to use it as a weapon… which means your world… my world….the entire galaxy… are doomed."

The Powers paled. This was a whole new level of not good. _I miss Virginia again_, Alex lamented.

**Hudson Bay – Shoreline**

All four Power children were carrying the fatally wounded Kymellian toward his ship at his behest. He was surprisingly light for an alien his size, but that might have something to do with his ability to disperse into a cloud form and then reform back to normal.

Jack stepped on a twig, causing the rest of the group to jump. Julie glared at him and hissed. "Ssh! Those Snarks could be right behind us!"*

He turned and matched her glare. "What the heck's a Snark? How do you know what those lizard things –"

"Geez! Read a book for once in your life and you might –"

"'Geez! Read a book for once in your life'" Jack mimicked. He hated when Julie lectured him.

"Oh shut up!" She snapped. "Haven't you done enough today?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what that means!" She yelled. "If you weren't so stupid and attacked those Snarks, the one alien that was trying to help us wouldn't have gotten shot!"*

The injured Kymellian grunted and leveled his hand at his floating ship. He muttered something in an alien language, which activated the ship.

As the ship began to rise into the air, a computerized female voice addressed its owner. "Oh brother Aelfyre… you've gotten us into quite a pickle this time haven't you?" The ship's bottom began to open, revealing an entrance ramp, while the cockpit opened up to extend a chair for the now named Aelfyre to sit in. "All aboard, duckies, before the natives start getting restless… or those Z^nrx come back to finish what they started!"

Alex frowned. "What's a Zurne… Zurnix…" He stuttered. "I can't even pronounce that!"

"Yeah, your missing a couple of organs to need to say it right," the computer said sounding… amused? "They would be the big, scaly lummoxes with the nasty ray guns and worse breath."*

Aelfyre chuckled despite his injury. "Young Julie, here… called them Snarks… after, I presume… Lewis Carroll?" She confirmed this with a nod. "That is… as good a name… as any… for their race."*

"HA!" She turned to Jack with a smug look. "See? I told you!"

"Oh, whatever…"

Suddenly, Katie jumped into Aelfyre's lap, causing him to grunt in slight pain. "You're gonna be my new pony! I love you!" She cried happily. "You're coat's white so I'm gonna call you 'Whitey'!"*

"Bio-scans indicate that 'Whitey' has seen better days."* The computer said, amused.

"We can't worry about that now, _Friday_," he chided. "The Snark ship that stole the younglings' sires… was scavenger class. That means the Nestship orbits nearby… follow the smaller vessel, and she will lead us right to Queen Maraud."*

"Ok, then," Friday responded. Suddenly, four seat belts wrapped around the children and pulled them into individual seats. "Buckle up tight, little monkeys. This train is going express!"*

"We're not monkeys!" Katie shouted indignantly.

"Sure you are!" _Friday_ showed pictures of a Snark, 'Whitey', and Dr. Power on the screen. "Horse people, lizard people, ape people. The universe is nothing if not consistent! Sometimes I think the only things unique in it are us machines!"*

"Wait…" Alex said. "Are you being _sarcastic_?"

"Do they even have sarcasm on Earth?"

"Yeah! Sarcasm practically makes the world go round!"

_Friday_ began to take off. "Then we're going to get along just peachy."*

"So Whitey," Katie began. "Are you gonna show us where you came from?"

"Alas, Katie... I cannot," He rasped. His breath becoming labored. "As _Friday_ said, I'm not in good condition to do much of anything… I am afraid… that I must apologize for being too late… to save your parents."

"What do you mean, too late?" Alex asked. "You got to the house the same time we did."

"Yes, but I was delayed… my mission was… to observe your race… and learn of your cultures… but during my studies… I found that your father, James Power… was researching the anti-matter reaction… long ago, Kymellia was destroyed by a cataclysmic reaction… caused researching and testing anti-matter… our scientists were trying… to use it as a tool… to better our lives… but anti-matter is far too unstable… once the reaction starts, it cannot be stopped… I was… delayed because I had to contact the Kymellian council… to request permission to break our non-interference laws… as I was establishing the connection… the Snarks attacked." He paused as he coughed and wheezed. "They came… to rip the technology from your father's brain… so they could be the only masters… they even launched a cyber attack before they came after me… so they could erase the files from your laboratory computers… they plan to use your father's Annihilator… as a tool for intergalactic war."

The children gasped. Their father's life work, his dream, was going to be used as the new super weapon. And he would be helpless as the information was taken from him.

Julie began to hyperventilate. "B-but what can w-we do?" She stuttered. "W-with you h-hurt and no h-help, w-we don't stand a chance!"

"You are… correct." He replied slowly, as an idea came to his head. "But… I can do one last thing… to help you… younglings." The Power children looked at him, wondering what he could possibly mean. "Since the day… my planet was destroyed… I have rejected our previous ways… as have so many of my race's forefathers…. I have dedicated my life… to understanding the universe… through the four principle forces…. Gravity, velocity, density, and energy… With my last act of matter transmutation… I will give each of you… a gift… but you must promise me… that you will never use it for evil… you will only use it… to help and protect life… promise me…"

The children nodded, none of them would ever think of abusing such vast power at such a young age. However, Alex had one slight problem. "But, how will this help us? The Snarks saw you use your power on Earth, how will this give us an edge?"

Aelfyre, or 'Whitey', chuckled despite his injury, though it sounded more like a rapid, hacking cough. "As war-like…. And brutish as the Snarks are… they suffer from a terrible curse.. they…" The children leaned forward, eager to find out what advantage they had over their parents' captors. "… Have no imagination whatsoever…"

"Are you kiddin' me?" Jack yelled. "How is that an advantage?"

"Think about it… Jack… they kidnapped your father… because they could not make a strong enough weapon… on their own… they saw you on Earth… as weak and defenseless… with my power, you will hold an advantage… because they could never form the thought… that strength such as this would ever come to you… so soon after they last saw you… do you understand now?"

Jack nodded, as did his siblings. "Good…. Julie… Alex… take my hands… Jack and… Katie… take your elder siblings' hands… and join yours as well… this may feel a bit strange…" As he finished saying this, Aelfyre's body began to glow.

The Power children felt his gifts flowing through them, they hadn't experienced anything like this before. After a few minutes, the feeling stopped and all felt normal. Julie was the first to speak up. "Uh… sir? Are you sure that it worked?"

When she didn't receive an answer, the four turned to their friend and gasped. Aelfyre, the Kymellian master of the four principle forces, had died after his last glorious act. The four siblings felt the cold reality set in. They were alone, save for a space ship.

Katie began crying immediately. Her protector, her friend (even if it was only for a couple hours) had died trying to save her family. Julie tried comforting her, but she couldn't hide her own tears. No child should have to watch someone they cared for die in front of them.

Alex tried to be strong for his sisters, but found that he couldn't. Tears streamed down the older boy's face as his fists clenched in his hands. The Snarks had taken his parents, they'd taken his friend, simply because they wanted the biggest gun in the galaxy. He reigned in his temper at the thought of his parents. They were still in danger, they were what he needed to focus on. He would weep for his fallen ally later, but now was the time to focus.

Jack stared at Aelfyre's body, stunned at what happened. _It's my fault_, he scolded himself. _If I'd listened, you'd still be here… and mom and dad wouldn't be on their ship…_

"Listen up kids," _Friday_ said. "Brother Aelfyre may be gone, but you've still got work to do. We're coming up on the Nestship, I hope you're ready for this."

"Ok," Alex said, drying his eyes with the back of his hand. "So, once we land, we get in, try to sneak past any guards, find our parents, grab them, and get out. Seems simple enough."

"As much as I'd hate to rain on your parade, kiddo. I doubt the Snarks are going to be hospitable when we land. You'll probably end up having to fight your way through."

"Do you have any hints on how to use the powers we got?" Jack asked. He really wanted to blast some of those lizard-faced freaks like Aelfyre did earlier.

"Hmmm, I know Brother Aelfyre mentioned that the powers came from mental focus. But other than that I've got nothing."

"You're kidding," Julie said, paling. "We're about to go on an enemy ship with no clue on how to use our only weapon other than 'the powers come from mental focus'?"

"Hey! That's all he told me! But now that you mention it, I don't think you kiddies are going to be able to fight in your little jammies there. So consider this my gift to you."

The Power siblings were engulfed by rings of light and their clothes began to change and were replaced with… fighting suits?

They all appeared to be similar to Whitey's original suit; they each had metal wrist bands and boots, the symbols on the chest shared a common black open topped square, but were each unique, and the colors seemed to have an alternate color with black theme to them. Alex's suit was white and black, Julie's suit was red and black, Jack's suit was blue and black, and Katie's suit was yellow and black. As the change was complete, _Friday_ answered their unasked question.

"The suits are made of unstable molecules, they'll be stored in a pocket dimension when you're not using them. When you want to change into them, just say 'costume on'! Now look lively, we're about to make contact!"

Suddenly, Jack spoke up. "Alex, we need a name."

"What?" Alex said, turning to look at his brother.

"We need a group name, something like the Fantastic Four or the X-Men."

"Jack," Julie cut in. "You're losing sight of what's important, we need to focus on –"

"I vote for 'Dealers of Death'." He interrupted, thinking the name would go over well.

"No!" Alex said. "Remember what Whitey said? We have to use our powers, whatever they are, to protect people, not hurt or scare them."

"Well, fine then! What's you big idea?"

Alex paused and thought for a moment. He really hadn't expected to have to deal with this. _Let's see, X-Men comes from Professor Xavier. So if we use our name…_

"I've got it." He replied, his siblings looked at him expectantly. "From now on, we are the Power Pack!"

**Chapter End**

**Holy crap! It felt good getting the first and second parts of the Pack's origins done, but now my fingers are killing me! Anyways, I used a lot of canon dialogue here because it really explains what's going on in the story, and I can't rob you of that. **

**Anyways, let me know what you think! If you've got any insight, keep it constructive. Later!**


	5. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Harry Potter**_** series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters. I'd also like to add that I don't own any of the pop culture references I make. **

**Ok, I'm back again. This weekend didn't turn out as planned because I was sick for a couple of days and then ended up subbing a game Monday night. But here's the next chapter. We're continuing on with the origins of the Pack, I'm not going to leave you hanging for a chapter or two wondering what they're powers are.**

**On another note, I went back and edited the prologue chapters. I found a few spelling errors and noticed some things that I wanted to change. Some were pointed out by reviews, some were stupid plot holes that made me want to smack myself. For example: in the original version I never gave Elizabeth's reaction after 'baby brother Hawrry' was adopted. A couple people had commented that they wanted to see her in the future and I realized that I completely forgot to include her in the ending scene of the orphanage. Also, Harry only has one sibling and they're twins. Yeah, it's a change but the plot is going to remain the same, so no wrong BWL story line. I did that for two reasons: 1. A few reviews pointed out that changing his age that much didn't make sense (and looking back I agree and thank you for your input). 2. This will actually make the meeting/confrontation all the more entertaining. It also gives me more time to have the Death Eaters learn that some "Mudbloods" shouldn't me messed with. **

"Computer speech"

"{Alien language}"

* = dialogue from _Power Pack_ miniseries: Day One

**Chapter 3 Origins of the Power Pack Part 3: The One Time I Needed A Manual…**

**Space – Orbiting the Moon**

"Alright, kiddies. We're about to get a visual on the Snarks' Nestship!" _Friday_ said as it navigated around the Moon.

The Power Pack rushed over to the cockpit window to see their target. Who knew what sort of gargantuan ship might await them. For all they knew, it could be something like the Death Star! _Please don't let this be a Murphy's Law scenario!_ Julie thought.

As _Friday_ rounded crossed into the Moon's shadow, an odd form came into view. Upon close observation, the group realized that this was the Nestship. "Nest" described the shape of the vessel perfectly; the ship looked more like broken pieces of other ships, crushed and welded together to form one giant ship. The general shape was that of an actual bird's nest, hence the name.

"Laying in wait on the dark side of the Moon, how fitting." _Friday_ said. "Now comes the tricky part, how to sneak up on them without –"

Before _Friday_ could finish, two Snark Scavenger ships emerged from Moon craters and trapped the Kymellian vessel in a field of pulsing, blue energy.

"Wha- A vector field?!" _Friday_ yelled. "Leggo of me you lizard faced freaks!"

Needless to say, the Snarks had no interest in letting their catch go. They guided the field to the docking bay of the Nestship, eager to please their Queen with their finding.

Inside _Friday_, the jolt caused by the vector field and new course knocked the Powers off their feet.

"Whoa!" Alex yelled as Katie was thrown into him. "_Friday_! What's happening?"

"Um… well… on the bright side we _are_ getting much closer to your parents…"*

**Scene Change – Nestship Docking Bay**

A platoon of Snark soldiers stood in the docking bay, before a regal looking figure. She stood much taller than most Snarks, she was garbed in crimson robes and a white overcoat, atop her head sat a yellow and black striped crown. This was none other than Queen Maraud, "mother" of the Snarks. She looked toward the Scavenger group she sent to Earth and their bound captives with an approving gaze. Her children had met her expectations yet again. "{Well done, my children. What is the condition of your catch?}"

The leading Scavenger snapped a salute to his Queen and began his report. "{The ape scientist and his mate do not appear to be damaged, Mother. Their squishy skulls are ripe for our psy-probes to acquire the information you desire.}"

"{We desire nothing else but to know that we pleased you, Mother!}" Another Scavenger said.

"{Now, now, boys.}" She replied, amused. "{You know Mother appreciates the thought, but she does want you to be honest with her. Feh! How can I deny my sweet, conniving, murderous babies what they truly desire…}" She pulled a golden chalice from within her robe as she spoke. The Scavenger group's eyes widened in excitement when they saw their reward. "{… A taste of my royal nectar.}"*

She handed it to the leader, who's hands were literally shaking as he accepted his mother's gift. The leader opened it to see the sweet, green liquid known as the royal nectar, just as his mother promised. He raised the chalice to his mouth, eager to taste his reward, when the other two Scavengers tried to snatch it from him. The three started to fight over who would take the first sip of the nectar when a Snark from the observing platoon spoke.

"{The Scavenger ships on patrol say they are bringing in the Kymellian Smartship. Their scanners indicate four life forms aboard the intruding ship, Mother.}" One Snark said. The giant door separating the docking bay from space opened with a groan and admitted the ships. The Scavengers forced _Friday_ to land before the platoon, which stood by awaiting their Queen's orders.

Queen Maraud sneered. Whoever dared interfere with her plans would face her wrath. "{One of them must be the Kymellian"} she said. "{His sorcery could prove meddlesome. Breach the Smartship, if anything moves, _shoot it_!}"*

"{Yes, Mother!}" The assembled Snarks responded as one. They raised their blasters and marched toward _Friday_.

Meanwhile, the Power children were taking their capture as any could expect a group of kids, aged five to twelve, who had no idea how to use their newfound powers.

"We've got to figure out how to use our powers before the Snarks light us up!" Alex said. "Anyone got an idea?"

"M-Maybe I could shoot out an energy bolt like Whitey did…" Julie stammered. She held her hands out in front of her, trying to will the energy to come forth, only to be disappointed. "Nope! Nothing doing!*

"C'mon, c'mon! Fly, you stupid body! With that girly rainbow trail thingy!" Jack shouted, holding his arms up above his head. "Whitey lied to us! We don't have any powers!"*

Katie looked to Alex, hoping he had a solution. "Alex, what are we gonna do?" She said, panic evident in her voice.

Alex put his arm around her, trying to comfort her, and looked around, hoping vainly for inspiration." … I don't know…"

Suddenly, _Friday_'s entrance ramp opened with a hiss, the Snarks opened fire, hoping to rid themselves of their Queen's hated enemy. "{Die, Kymellian scum}" The leader shouted.

As the Snarks fired, smoke began to fill the cabin. The leader called out. "{Stop firing! We've hit something flammable!}"

"{Damn it!}" Another yelled. "{I can't see a thing!}"

Meanwhile, the Powers were using the smokescreen to sneak out through an emergency escape hatch. Katie was a bit reluctant to leave the ship.

"No! I don't wanna leave you, _Friday_!" She cried.

"Sheesh! I'm not going to lie, Katie, we're in a fine mess here." _Friday_ responded. "But don't worry, I'll deal with these scale heads while you go find your parents. Be brave and use the powers Whitey gave you!"

"No! I don't want to! I'm scared!" She yelled as Julie pulled her along. "And our stupid powers don't work anyways!"

"Keep your voice down, baby!" Julie said as she put a comforting arm around her little sister. "If don't have powers we'll just have to… wing it I guess."

"It could be worse." Alex noted. "We're lucky this smoke is covering our escape!"

"Lucky?" Jack's voice sounded from… the smoke? The group looked up in shock and saw his face appear in the smoke…. No, Jack was the smoke! "Try Jacktastic! I went through all the powers I saw Whitey do in my head until I got to this whole 'turn into clouds' thing and then poof!" He grinned cockily as he finished speaking. It felt good to figure out something his older siblings couldn't.

"{Look up ahead!}" The Pack turned and saw two Snark patrols staring at them from down a hallway. "{Look at those hideous little beasts!}"

"{They must have escaped from the Smartship!}" The other shouted. "{Freeze monkeys!}"

Alex raised his arms in front of him as an idea hit him. "Ok, well we also saw Whitey make their guns float out of their hands… "

He concentrated on manipulating the gravity around the Snarks, which caused them to suddenly float up and hit their heads on the hallway ceiling, knocking them out instantly. Alex looked to Julie a bit sheepishly, she shrugged as if to say "we'll take it".

Alex looked down at the odd symbol on his uniform. "Our powers must have something to do with these symbols, I guess mine is gravity and Jack's is density." He looked down at Katie, and noticed the symbol on her uniform. It looked like an explosion of some sort. "Katie, yours could be energy! Remember how Whitey blasted those Snarks back home? Why don't you try?"

She looked down at her feet and pouted. "I don't know how…"

"Well," Alex began. "All I did was think about mine."

"Okay…" She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the same energy she saw Whitey use. _C'mon energy! Come out and shoot already!_ After a moment, Katie opened her eyes. "It's not fair!" She whined. "How come Alex and Jack get powers and I –"

"Katie!" Julie cried out in shock. "Don't move! You turned the floor beneath you into energy!"

"Huh?" Katie looked down and saw a hole where she was standing. Yellow strands of energy were spiraling up her legs and into her body. She had disintegrated the floor!

Unfortunately, gravity doesn't stop and stare in shock like the Powers did. So as Katie started falling, Alex was still in shock and didn't realize that he could catch her. Katie fell out of sight, shrieking in fear.

Alex was the first to recover. _Oh crap!_ He thought frantically. _Why didn't I use my powers? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ "Katie!" He yelled. He looked down through the floor, hoping to catch sight of her, but all he found was darkness. "Are you alright down there?"

He waited a moment and realized that she probably couldn't hear him. "Great, now what do we do?"

"Leave it to Cloud Boy," Jack grouched. "I'll go look for the stupid baby since that's about all I'm good for… how come I get the lamest powers and she gets the cool energy thing?" Jack, still in his new cloud form, flew down the hole and out of sight.

"Wonderful, now we have to find our parents and Katie." Alex muttered. He turned to look at Julie, only to find her flying though the air at high speeds, with the same rainbow trails that engulfed Whitey.

"I'll go look for our parents," Julie said, determined. "Since my power seems to be velocity."

**Scene Change – Lower Levels**

Julie flew off down the hallway, but noticed that flying, especially at the speed she was going, was a lot harder than it looked. She was having no problem going _faster_, it was the slowing down, stopping, and turning that she was practically failing at. She went flying past two Snark guards and ended up in stairwell. _How do I control myself? Alex mentioned something about thinking and the powers working,_ _but all I end up doing is going faster! Wait… thinking?_ She recalled something from a science textbook she had once read. _Every object is relative to another… so if I think of it as my surroundings moving around me instead of me moving through her surroundings,_ _this might work!_

As Julie started viewing the world around her differently, she noticed that she was able to control her movements much better. With simple brain adjustments, she could think of her destination and she was there. Speeding up, slowing down, turning, it was all controlled by her thought.

She came to a stop in front of what appeared to be a medical room. She peered in through the window and saw two Snarks explaining something to their Queen. They were gesturing to the captive Power parents, who were hooked up to a strange looking machine.

"{The apes resist the psy-probes better than we expected, Mother.}" One said.

"{Then increase the power! Max it out if you have to!}" She shouted. "{I want the plans to the Annihilator before we leave this disgusting system, if only so we can test it out on their planet first!}"

Julie didn't get to hear any more of the conversation, a Snark patrol had snuck up on her and blasted her from behind. "Why hello there, Alien!" He snarled in English. "We've got three divisions looking for you!"

**Scene Change - Nursery**

Katie groaned as she opened her eyes. The fall had knocked her out for a few minutes and her head was killing her. She heard a faint sound… almost as if a bunch of people were chattering around her. As her eyes focused, her heart stopped. These weren't people, she was surrounded by Snark hatchlings!

"Wow look!" One called. "A real live alien!"

"She looks weird!"

"Ugly alien!"

"Don't call her that! She might leave!"

Katie crawled backwards, trying to put as much distance between her and the excited hatchlings. "St – Stay back." She stammered as she reached behind her in an attempt to grab hold of something to help her get up. She ended up grabbing hold of an eggshell, which was promptly disintegrated due to her fear and lack of control of her new powers.

"Oooooooo!" The hatchlings chorused. "Magic alien!"

"Quick! Grab more things to feed her!"

"I've got an eggshell over hear!"

"I got a metal thingy!"

"Ooh, ooh! Here's a broken toy!"

The hatchlings presented Katie with their various finds, shouting choruses of "Do it again! Do it again!" It took her a moment to realize that they wanted to see her disintegrate more stuff. _Well… at least it'll keep them distracted for a bit._ She thought as she took the toy from one of the hatchlings and focused on using her energy powers.

Twelve disintegrations later and Katie found something else out about her power. Converting an entire object into energy and absorbing it made her feel full. Her entire body glowed with stored energy as she groaned and held a hand to her stomach. "Please, no more…" she groaned. "I don't think I can disintegrate any more stuff…"

"Aww, she's no fun anymore!" A few hatchlings said, disappointed their new toy wasn't working.

"Let's squish her!"

"Flush her down a toilet!"

"Are you all crazy?!" One yelled as it hopped on top of her head. "We have a talking, magic alien! We should wait at least a week before flushing her! We should make her walk it off!"

As the rest chattered in agreement, Katie stood up slowly, groaning all the way. _I'm so going on a diet if this is my power…_

"C'mon! We'll show you around your new home, ugly alien!"

"Stop calling her that or she might not play anymore!" The hatchlings pulled her along. The sooner she walked, the sooner she played more.

"Kaaaaaatieeeeee!" Jack called as he descended into the lower levels. _This sucks_, he thought. _What the heck kind of power is this? "Gravity", "energy", and "bad weather"? Why the heck does Katie get the cool blasting power?_ As he thought, he remembered how his benefactor died. _That's right… this is all my fault. Whitey was tryin' to save me… maybe this is punishment for me bein' so stupid._ He looked down in shame, only to see his missing sister, surrounded by Snark hatchlings! _Is that… dang it Katie!_

"Umm…" Katie said, unsure of exactly how to address her miniature captors. "Is there any juice around here?"

"Is there juice?" One repeated. "She hasn't had any of Mother's royal nectar!"

The hatchlings lead Katie into a large storage room, where she saw about a dozen giant containers of a strange green liquid.

"So… what exactly is it?" Katie asked. She didn't want to drink anything these things were drinking without knowing what it was made from.

"It's a special liquid that Mother secrets in a gland, she gives it to us when we're good, and doesn't when we're bad." A hatchling replied.

Katie looked at the containers and then back to her temporary guides. _Well, it can't be that bad if they drink it I guess._ She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Jack's appearance.

"Hey! Get away from her lizard freaks!" The hatchlings looked up in shock and grew frightened at the sight of the cloud like boy. To small children, he might look like a monster that hid in the closet, this was true, even for alien children. They fled, tripping over one another in their haste to be the first to escape.

"Alien ghost! Run!"

"Mother, help us!"

"Wait," Katie called. "Don't run! It's just my stupid brother!" The hatchlings gave no reply as they disappeared from sight, heading back to the safety of their nursery. "Jack! You scared my friends away!"

"Friends?" He repeated. "What the heck are you talkin' about? These are the same scaly slime balls that kidnapped our parents! Alex and Julie and I have been running all over the place trying to save you _and_ our parents, and your down here playin' freakin' patty cake!"

Katie's anger grew with every word he spoke. Unbeknownst to both of them, the angrier she got, the more volatile the energy within her grew. "It wasn't like that!" She yelled back, trying to defend herself.

Jack didn't notice the energy crackling around his sister, he was set on giving her both barrels for being so stupid (to him, at least). "_Oh look at me! I'm Katie and my special super power is glowing in the dark like a freakin' night light!_"He mocked. "Hey! That's a great idea! There's your hero name: Night Light. You can be our yellow glowing version of Rudolph the –"

"STOP MAKIN' FUN OF ME YOU JERK!" Katie yelled, releasing her pent up anger along with the energy she had absorbed earlier. The energy blasts fired off in random directions, some blowing large holes through the ship's walls, others destroying the royal nectar containers. "… Oops…"

"Oh crap, run before they come in here!"

The pair fled the room as the precious liquid splashed onto the floor, before flowing down a cooling vent to the floors below.

**Scene Change – Lowe Levels: Psy-probe Room**

Coincidentally, the vent was directly above the room in which the Power parents and Julie were being held before Queen Maraud. Julie cowered in fear as the Snark Queen sneered at her down her long snout. _Oh great, of all the times for me not to pay attention, I pick when I'm outside the room with the leader of the bunch!_ Just as she thought it was all over, an explosion from the level above caught the Snarks' attention.

"What was that?" Maraud asked one of the guards.

"I'm not sure, Mother. It sounded like it came from the nursery." The group looked up as he spoke, and noticed that a green liquid was dripping down from the vent. "Yes… the nursery… where they store the royal…. The royal nectar!"

The guards scrambled over one another to drink the growing puddle of liquid. With the guards distracted and the Queen trying to get their attention, Julie flew over to the psy-probe to free her parents.

"Stop her!" Maraud screeched. "She's stealing the scientist!" Too late, Julie had detached her parents from the psy-probe faster than their eyes could follow and was already down the hall.

She headed back up the stairway to find Alex when she ran straight into the guards he knocked out earlier. They were just recovering when they saw her.

"Ugh, damn Kymellian witchcraft! Skip the freeze part and blast her!" The duo raised their blasters and took aim, but were once again taken down, this time from above. Alex had snuck up behind them and jumped on their backs, using his gravity manipulation to increase his weight by ten times. The unfortunate guards were out cold once again.

"I just figured out that I could increase my gravity as well as subtract that of my opponents," Alex explained. "Pretty handy trick."

"That's great, really wonderful." Julie responded as they ran for _Friday_. "Gloat later, we still have to find –"

"Alex! Julie!" The older Power siblings whipped around and saw Jack and Katie sprinting toward them from another hallway.

"… I'll ask how you managed to find your way back later." Alex said slowly. "Now, let's get the ever loving heck out of here!"

"_Friday_!" Katie cheered. "We did it! We found mom and dad!"

"So I see! Brother Aelfyre himself couldn't have done better." The Smartship replied, lowering it's entrance ramp to admit the group. They ran in and set their parents on the cockpit floor.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now strap yourselves in, my wonderful little delinquents. We're about to experience a little turbulence."

"Uh, _Friday_…" Jack said. "The hangar door is still closed…"

"Would you like me to ask the Snarks to open it?"

"Good point."

"I'm glad you agree." _Friday_ ignited the rocket boosters and took off, managing to gather enough speed to ram _through_ the giant door.

The vacuum force of space began to suck the oxygen out of the Nestship, and was starting to pull the Snarks inside along for the ride.

"Explosive decompression! We'll be sucked outside!"

"Someone hit the emergency switch! We need the bulkhead!" Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your view), a guard was able to hit the switch to activate the emergency bulkhead just in time. The back up door slid into place, separating the inhabitants of the Nestship from space.

"Whew… good thing that was installed." The guard who pressed the switch turned to face his companions. "We need to find Mother and tell her that the monkeys escaped! Follow me to –"

"No need, child." Queen Maraud said from the hallway, she stalked into view looking furious. "Plot a course back to Earth! Mommy is very angry!"

"N-Not at us, right Mother?"

"Oh no! Not at my precious children. At those damned aliens!" She yelled, giving in to her fury. "We need to intercept them before they get back to Earth! Otherwise, they'll hide the scientist and destroy the annihilator! Now move!" The guards ran to do her bidding, not wanting to lose favor with their already fuming Queen.

**Scene Change – Aboard **_**Friday**_** (Currently entering Earth's atmosphere)**

The Pack busied themselves trying to remove the bonds containing their parents. It took a bit for him to figure it out, but Jack was finally able to get out of his "cloud form" and back into his regular body. All it took was a bit of concentration, just like the rest of Whitey's gifts.

"So how're your parents holding up?" _Friday_ asked as it flew toward Earth.

Well," Alex started. "We got this sticky web stuff the Snarks wrapped them in off, but it kinda numbs your skin. No wonder mom and dad didn't put up a fight when they were caught."

James and Margaret Power began to stir, they opened their eyes and saw themselves surrounded by the children.

"Mom, Dad, how are you feeling?" Julie asked, hoping that the mind probe didn't damage them permanently.

"Mom? Dad?" Margaret repeated. "What are you talking about? Who are you kids?"

"Oh no!" Julie gasped. "I must have pulled them out of that mind probe thing too soon! Their memories are gone!"

**Scene Change – Hudson Valley Nuclear Research Facility**

"Uh, sir?" A scientist began. "Are you sure you want to test the Annihilator without Dr. Power? I mean, he's the one who knows how to run it best –"

"Nonesense!" Mr. Carmody scoffed arrogantly. "I'm Power's boss, that means I'm automatically smarter than him! If he misses the testing, then he doesn't get any of the credit!" _I can make a fortune off of this machine! All I have to do is make sure it works right!_

He pressed the start button and began the anti-matter reaction sequence. At first, the Annihilator appeared to be working fine, but after about a minute, alarms started going off. The reaction was going out of control! "WARNING: CHAIN REACTION IMMENENT! WARNING: CHAIN REACTION IMMENENT!"

"B-But how?" Carmody stammered. "It was supposed to work just fine!"

The Annihilator began to spark with anti-matter reaction energy, destroying the control panel. Whitey's worst fears were coming true, Earth was about to join Kymellia in oblivion…

**Scene Change – Aboard **_**Friday**_** (Descending toward Hudson Valley)**

"Uh-oh."

The Pack turned at _Friday_'s words of alarm. For all they knew the Snarks could already be in hot pursuit!

"What's wrong?" Julie asked. "Are the Snarks attacking again?"

"At the moment, the Snarks are the least of our worries! I just picked up a high energy reading coming from the Valley! The last time I picked up readings like this was back when Kymellia was destroyed!"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning some idiot started up the Annihilator!"

"You can't be serious!" Alex said, gaping in shock. "How are we supposed to stop that thing?"

"Well… I see two options that might work. The first: flip the switch and turn it off, but the energy from the reaction still has to go somewhere so that's probably out…"

"What's option two?"

"Option two is that you four go in and use Whitey's powers to get the Annihilator off the planet."

"Uh… are you sure that will work?" Julie asked. She didn't want to be in the same country as a nuclear powered machine going into meltdown, let alone be the one trying to shut it off.

"It's that or bye-bye Earth."

Alex surveyed his younger siblings, trying to formulate a plan based on their powers. _Let's see, Julie's got velocity, Jack's got density, Katie has energy, and I've got gravity… This might actually work_. "Alright, I have an idea." The Pack gathered around and listened for their parts. This was not the time for a bad debut into the super hero gig.

**Scene Change – Hudson Valley Nuclear Research Facility – Anti-Matter Research Lab**

"Sir!" A guard called to Mr. Carmody. "We need to evacuate the building immediately!"

"NO! As scientists it is our duty to save this machine!" He responded frantically. He had no interest in saving the machine for the good of science, he wanted a big payoff and this was his ticket.

"Sir, as head of security this is my call, not yours." He moved to grab the crazed director, but the lab doors slid shut in front of him. "Damn it, Carmody!" He yelled as he punched in the key code on the door panel. It came back negative. "You changed the code… you son of a –"

"Evans." A voice called through his radio. "We have a situation outside!"

"I'm dealing with a situation inside at the moment!"

"Sir, a large aircraft just touched down outside our entrance and dropped off four kids. They're trying to get in."

"What? Oh… fine. I'll be right there." He sprinted down the hallway in the direction of the entrance. _This had better be good_.

**Scene Change – Hudson Valley Nuclear Research Facility (Outside)**

_Friday _touched down just outside the research facility, not bothering with discretion. It was more important to save the planet than to keep their existence a secret (for now). The Pack exited the ship, determined to put a stop to their father's creation and save their planet.

"Ok, the plan you all came up with is completely insane, but quite frankly it's all we've got right now." _Friday _said. "While you're dealing with that, I'll use the mind probe technology I have to try to reverse what the Snarks did to your parents. I'll hide out in your backyard while you deal with this."

"Sounds good." Julie said. "Take care of our parents!"

"I'd say they're in good hands, but I have none!" _Friday_ quipped as it lifted off and flew in the direction of their house.

"Alright, let's get going before it's too late!" Alex said. The Pack ran for the front entrance, only to be met by a group of twenty guards.

"Stop right there!" Evans shouted. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"Sir," Alex began. "It's a bit difficult to explain, and you probably won't believe me, but a group of aliens is trying to steal the Annihilator technology to use as a tool of intergalactic war and they're on the way right now." He looked up and noticed that the guards were staring blankly. Thinking they didn't believe him, he continued. "Sir, like I said, I know it's strange but –"

"Kid," Evans said, looking at something behind Alex. "I believe you…"

"Huh?"

"Ugh, look behind you, genius!" Julie hissed, turning her brother around and pointing out the Snark ships that were descending upon them. "Seeing is believing!"

"Forget explaining! Just run!" Jack shouted, running past the guards. The rest of the Pack needed no further urging as they followed their brother towards the lab.

"Hey! Stop!" Evans shouted. "The Annihilator's overloading!" Seeing that the kids had no intention of stopping, he turned and grabbed two guards. "You two, with me! We've got to get those kids out of there before the Annihilator goes off!"

The Power Pack sprinted down the hallway frantically trying to find the Annihilator. Unfortunately, Katie was panicking so much that she was using her powers as she ran, leaving behind glowing footprints as she ran.

"Katie! Stop energizing the floor!" Jack shouted as he spotted the trail.

"I can't help it! I wish Whitey were here!"

"Dang it Katie! Whitey's dead! And you're gonna lead the guards and the Snarks to us!" As he spoke, Evans and company rounded the corner and put on a burst of speed.

"Freeze! We're getting you out of here right now!" Evans shouted as he raced toward the group.

"Ah forget it!" Jack muttered. "Cloud on!" His body dispersed back into his cloud form, making it impossible for the guards to grab him. "I still can't take it! That's such a lame battle cry…"

"Would you stop complaining! We're fighting for our lives here!" Alex snapped back as he levitated himself away from a guard.

"Hey! I think I have a right to! Whitey stuck me with the lamest power! All he gave me was this crappy bad weather thing –"

"You dunce! He said the powers were based on the four fundamental forces! Gravity, velocity, energy and density! You're freakin' density!... Or maybe just plain dense!" He yelled as he lifted Katie out of Evans' reach. "Don't blame Whitey because you can't figure out how to do more than one thing!"

"That… gives me an idea." Julie cut in. "Katie, can you shoot out energy as well as absorb it in?"

"Uh, I think so…"

"Good." Julie said as she spun Katie around with her super speed. "Then start shooting!"

Alex and Julie ducked as Katie released the energy she had absorbed from the ground and managed to hit all the guards, blasting them back into the walls. She came to a stop, clutching her stomach and groaning. "Oooh… dang it, Julie! I think I'm gonna throw up…"

In the security room, alarms were going off signaling a new problem. A guard pulled up the screen and found something he didn't expect. "Sir, the intruders have released some sort of gas in the building." The scanners had picked up Jack in his cloud form.

"Implement counter measures!" The other replied. "We need to clear that hall so we can continue the evacuation!"

"Yes, sir!" He replied as he switched on the emergency fans.

Back with the Power Pack, the fans above them started to pull Jack up into the vents! "I'm being sucked in!" He shouted in panic.

"Jack!" Alex shouted in vain, watching as he was pulled into the vents and out of sight.

Jack struggled to escape the suction, he couldn't get away from the fans in his cloud form. He was being pulled back further when an idea came to him. _Wait, Alex said my power was density! I just have to concentrate! C'mon, body! Get denser already!_ As Jack focused, his body not only resumed it's solid form, it shrunk down! Jack had packed his molecules tight enough for him to stand up and walk through the air ducts! He started walking back in the direction he had been before the fans dragged him through the vents. _We were just a little bit away from the lab, so if I can follow this vent and get in, I can let the others in too!_

After walking for a few minutes, Jack's hunch was proven right. The vent led him straight to the anti-matter lab, in which Mr. Carmody was still trying vainly to turn off the Annihilator.

"Why? Why won't you turn off you damn machine!" He shouted hysterically. As he spoke, Jack shifted into his cloud form to get out of the vents and then switched back as he landed on the floor. Carmody spun around, while drawing a pistol, and took aim at him. "Who are you? Trying to destroy my machine?" He roared. "I won't let you stop me!"

Jack ran full speed at him, compressing himself to dodge the bullets easier, and lept at Carmody, ramming his head firmly into the crazed director's ribcage. Carmody dropped to the floor, winded, as Jack stood up with a smug grin on his face.

"Seems like this power isn't so lame after all!" He proclaimed. "That's what you get when you mess with… the Mass Master!" Satisfied with his boast, Jack ran over to the door and opened it to admit his siblings. "Okay, guys. The good news is that I got us into the room with the Annihilator. The bad news is I got us into the room with the Annihilator and it's gonna blow _any second now_!"

"Alex…" Katie said nervously. "Are you sure this is gonna work?"

"Remember what Whitey said, we should use our powers to save people." Alex replied, his eyes hardened with determination. "And that's exactly what we're gonna do!"

"Alright, Alex!" Julie responded. "We're with you, what's next?

"Okay, Jack already did his part by getting us in here. Katie, you're our _energizer_. We nee you to start absorbing the energy the Annihilator's giving out!"

"'K!" She replied. She ran over to the control panel and took hold, willing her body to absorb the energy coming from the machine. Her body brighter than ever as it took in energy faster than before.

Seeing this, Alex realized that it wouldn't be a good idea to see what happened when Katie was topped off. He held out his arms, preparing to manipulate the gravity around the Annihilator."Okay," He muttered to himself. "Just gotta concentrate here. I've never tried to zero-g anything this big before…"

He poured all his energy into lifting the machine, wondering when he would finally overcome Earth's natural forces. With a loud groan of resistance, it began to float. "Awesome! It's working!" He looked up, noticing that he still had a ceiling to deal with, and realized that he had just the person to help him. "Katie, could you be a dear and take care of the –"

**Zap**! **BOOM!**

"… thanks. Okay, Julie you're up! I need you to turbo boost this thing into the atmosphere! When we get up high enough, I should be able to send it out into space so Katie can blast it at a safe distance!"

"Got it!" She yelled back. "Katie, jump on my back and hold on tight!" She took hold of the machine as Katie jumped on and established a firm enough grip. "I'll take care of this at light speed!" Julie sped off with the Annihilator, with Alex following behind so he could control gravity easier. Jack brought up the rear in his cloud form, determined not to let anything delay his siblings' ascent.

Meanwhile, the lab guards were engaging the Snarks on the ground. Rifles, pistols, fists, debris, and pretty much everything and anything they could get their hands on came into play. Evans, who had regained consciousness and decided that the Snarks were a bigger problem than the kids trying to help stop the Annihilator, joined in the fray wielding a fallen lead pipe. As they pushed the intruders out of the main building, Evans saw a large shadow fall over the battleground. He looked up expecting more ships, only to stare in awe. The kids, the same kids he thought were signing their death warrants when they entered the lab, had somehow got the Annihilator into the air!

"No freakin' way…" He muttered. He regained his focus in time to crack another Snark in the head with his pipe. He looked back up and yelled. "I don't know how you're doing it, but get that damn thing as far away from here as possible! We'll take care of business down here!"

**Scene Change – Earth's Atmosphere**

Alex was gasping for breath, due to both the exertion of manipulating gravity and the decrease in oxygen. "Getting harder to breathe! Julie," He called. "I've got this thing zero-g'd enough for even you to throw it! Even if you throw like a girl!" He just couldn't resist teasing her now that they were close to succeeding.

"I am a girl! What the heck else would I throw like!" She shot back as she hurled the Annihilator into space, mentally cheering herself when she saw how well she had thrown it. "Alright Katie, blast that thing!"

"On it!" Katie took aim and released the rest of the energy she'd taken from the Annihilator. It was more than enough to destroy the potential planet killer.

"Wow, nice shot." Jack said in awe. "I guess you're not such a stupid baby after all… well, not always at least!"

"Hey!"

"Knock it off, you two." Alex scolded halfheartedly. "We should probably head back home and make sure mom and dad are okay. Hopefully _Friday_ was able to fix their memories."

Jack, Julie, and Katie grinned when he finished. They had done it! They'd managed to save their parents and the planet in their first super hero mission! The group descended to their house, eager to check up on their parents… and to fill _Friday_ in on all the details.

"I still say Dealers of Death is cooler, Alex."

"For the last time, we don't kill! We're the Power Pack and that's final!"

"Dang…"

**Scene Change – Snark Nestship**

The returning Scavengers looked at one another nervously. They had failed their mission, the Queen looked furious, but didn't vent her rage on her "wonderful children".

"So," She hissed. "They destroyed my Annihilator… Savor your victory for now, _Power Pack_! For Queen Maraud will have revenge!

**Chapter End**

**Ok, my hands hurt, but there it is. The origin of the world's youngest super heroes. **

**Review and let me know what you think! Later!**


	6. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Harry Potter**_** series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**Ok, so I'm back again with another chapter. It seems that most of you liked the Origins storyline, and for that I'm glad. I had a feeling it would be better to actually show how they got they're powers instead of saying "Oh yeah, he meets these kids and they have powers. Deal with it." **

**Ok, so now we'll meet up with Harry/Franklin again, I see that one of the readers found my lack of him in the last two chapters disturbing. I give this person major props for responding to my in chapter **_**Star Wars**_** reference and would like to note that I was going along with the way the Pack actually came into being. I didn't want to butcher it by throwing our boy in randomly.**

**Chapter 4: Chance Meetings and Foresight**

**New York City, New York**

Franklin sighed as he walked toward the front door of his kindergarten class, he hadn't slept well at all last night due to a rather strange dream. A dream that involved him fighting alongside four spandex wearing kids against a group of lizard-like aliens. _Maybe I've been watching too many Saturday morning cartoons_ he thought as he recalled the one part of the dream he actually remembered.

DREAMSCAPE

"Plan A or Plan B, Alex!" Franklin snapped as he looked to the older boy in the white and black uniform. Apparently this boy wasn't a fan of either of Franklin's ideas.

"Are you nuts?" An older girl in red and black shouted. "You're gonna leave yourself wide open to be shot!"

"That's why I said it's up to you to make sure to get them before they get me! Unless you have a better idea?"

DREAMSCAPE END

Franklin shook his head, hoping that it was a regular dream and not another manifestation of his psychic powers. During his lessons with Auntie Agatha, Franklin had unlocked the ability to make astral projections, precognition, and the ability to destroy objects from a distance. All of these were rather impressive powers, but he still wasn't able to control them. He'd been having strange dreams lately, as his precognition had a tendency to come to him in dreams. Last time, he'd seen Doctor Doom's attack on the Baxter Building the day before it happened.

Unfortunately, the adults didn't realize that it was one of his powers and dismissed it as a nightmare. Within twenty-four hours, they found that the threat of a building being launched into space and destroyed was indeed a possibility. It was only due to Susan's force fields that they had survived and defeated their sworn enemy. The aftermath of this attack saw the Four looking for a new base of operations, they found one after turning to New York billionaire, Tony Stark.

Stark had invited them to boarding at the Avengers mansion, the only catch was that they needed to become members of the super powered all-star team. This meant more missions, and less time to spend with Franklin.

He understood that their job was important and he loved them all the more for doing it, he just wanted to be able to spend more time with his parents. It was already hard enough making friends since his parents and surrogate uncles treated him like glass, as if the slightest bit of danger were an attack by one of their mortal enemies. With how many times Doctor Doom had kidnapped the poor boy in his short life, one couldn't blame them for being overprotective, even though it did isolate him from his peers.

Luckily, Franklin had found another parental figure in Edwin Jarvis, the manservant of the Avengers. While Jarvis had no superpowers or ultra cool gadgets like Tony, he still found ways to teach the youngest boarder in the mansion a thing or two about normal life. Eventually, Franklin started going to Jarvis when he had his prophetic dreams when his parents and uncles were on missions.

There were, of course, a couple of times that he went to Jarvis even though Susan and Reed were in the mansion. Susan was a bit upset when she didn't hear about one of these dreams until Jarvis mentioned it a week after the fact, and even more upset when Franklin told her that he'd done it so he would get into the habit of calling Jarvis first and avoid calling her while she was on a mission. One discussion on family values later, and the new rule was that she would be the first to know when she wasn't on a mission. Susan had nothing against Jarvis, but she didn't want Franklin to distance himself from her in such a deliberate manner; she wanted to come home from a mission and be with "her baby" as if she were coming home from work. She didn't want to feel like she was a stranger to her own son.

The family discussion is when the subject of schooling came up. Franklin begged his parents to let him go so make his own friends, he was tired of feeling like his parents screened who he could and couldn't meet. He wanted the thrill of meeting someone and finding out what they were really like, that way he could actually learn what kind of people he liked to hang out with. Reed and Susan agreed, on two conditions: he had to wear a more powerful psychic dampener around his waist and he had to help out a bit around the mansion. Franklin accepted immediately, so they didn't add any more stipulations.

Franklin shook himself from his thoughts and tried to focus as he waited for his teacher, Ms. Hopkins, to call him in. For some reason, she wanted to have him introduce himself to the class since he was joining in the middle of the year. She mentioned that she had every student do an introduction at the beginning of the year and that she wanted him to do the same so the other kids would know him a bit. _Great_,_ now I get to show off just how bad I am at meeting people._ He thought mirthlessly. _No, that's not a good mindset to have going in. Happy thoughts, Franklin! Like, the letter!_

FLASHBACK – THREE WEEKS AGO

Franklin looked at the envelope a bit nervously. It was addressed to him, but with people like Doctor Doom constantly having it out for your parents, you learned to be a bit suspicious of everything. He picked up the envelope with slightly shaking hands and broke the seal before turning it upside down and dumping the letter on his desk. Pretty smart when you stop and think of some of the technology your parents' enemies have used.

Much to his relief, it was a normal letter, no mini bombs or teleportation thingies. He unfolded the letter and scanned it. It was written in very neat handwriting, but Franklin could see where the person had scratched some things out. _Well, I won't get anywhere if I don't read it._

"Dear Franklin," (He smiled slightly when he saw that the person had scratched out "Harry" and replaced it with Franklin)

"You probably don't remember me, 'cause you were a baby when I last saw you, but my name is Elizabeth. I was at the orphanage when you were first left there and we used to play together, I even used to call you my baby brother. I haven't been adopted yet, but the orphanage is still nice since Sister McKinney is still running it. On to the main reason I'm writing, I had a few questions that I wanted to ask you. How are you? What's your family like? Are you happy where you are? Please write back soon! I miss you a lot.

Love,

Elizabeth (Still your big sister)

P.S. I put two pictures in the envelope. One has everyone in the orphanage now, the other is a picture of you and I playing dress up. You looked so cute in that outfit!"

Franklin was smiling widely as he finished, he may not have remembered his surrogate older sister but she sounded like a nice person. _Wait, she said she put pictures in!_ He hastily grabbed the discarded envelope and stuck his hand in, searching for the pictures. His fingers brushed against the edges of something, he took hold and pulled it out.

Sure enough, two photographs had been put in the envelope with the letter. The first had a group of about twenty kids and two women standing in front of the orphanage. The group were smiling, some were even waving toward the camera, toward him! The grin on his face grew to unbelievable proportions! If one were to pass by and see the boy, they might think that he was on a sugar rush.

He put this one to the side, making a mental note to ask his parents to frame it later, and picked up the second photo. After staring at it for a moment, Franklin wasn't sure whether he should laugh or blush in embarrassment. The picture showed a young girl, three years old at most, smiling and holding a baby. The baby was dressed in an orange fox costume, complete with fuzzy ears on the top of the head.

_Unca' Johnny will never let me hear the end of this if he finds it!_ He hastily hid the second picture in one of his math books, if there was one thing Johnny wouldn't go near, it was a math book. He learned that a long time ago. Franklin stopped for a minute, trying to process what he'd just seen. It was a bit of a shock that he had someone from his past that genuinely cared for him.

As that realization hit him, Franklin pulled out a sheet of paper and a pencil. Silently thanking his dad for teaching him how to write early, he began writing his reply.

"Dear Elizabeth" …

FLASHBACK END

"Franklin," He looked up as Ms. Hopkins called his name. "You can come in now, dear." He smiled nervously and walked into the classroom, hoping that he wouldn't make a fool of himself. His nerves didn't improve when he faced his soon-to-be classmates, he hadn't realized there would be so many kids his age. He looked down at the floor and stammered out his introduction.

"Uh… H-hi, I'm Franklin R-Richards… n-nice to meet you all."

A short silence followed his introduction, he looked up expecting to see his classmates laughing at him, only to find them smiling and waiting to see if he would continue. Franklin felt his face heat up as he realized he didn't really have anything else to say. Well, unless he wanted to flaunt that he was the son of the famous Susan and Reed Richards, but that would just defeat the purpose of making friends on his own.

"Okay, Franklin," Ms. Hopkins cut in, sensing the nervousness that was practically radiating off the poor boy. "You'll be sitting next to Katie over there, Katie if you'd raise your hand for me, dear." Franklin looked around and saw a blond haired girl wearing a pink jumper raise her hand into the air, showing him where he was supposed to go. He walked over to the empty chair next to her and took a seat, waiting for class to begin. His attention was drawn elsewhere by Katie tapping him on the shoulder, he turned to see what she wanted, still a bit nervous.

Katie smiled brightly and introduced herself. She knew how it felt to go into a new school and wanted to see if he could be a new friend. "Hi, I'm Katie Power! Wanna play when we go out to the playground?"

Franklin nodded, smiling shyly. "Uh, s-sure. If that's okay…"

"What do you mean 'if that's okay'?" She teased. "You don't need to be so scared, I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't!" _Yeesh! You'd think I'm tellin' him to give me his favorite toy or something!_

Franklin's eyes brightened as she said this. He was afraid that no one would like him because of how shy he was, but here was a girl that wanted him to open up and be a kid. _Maybe I've already found my first friend!_ "Uh.. T-thanks."

Katie forced herself not to facepalm at his continued stutter. _Ok, first order of business: get this kid to stop bein' so tense._

**Scene Change – Playground (a couple hours later)**

"C'mon, let's go play on the swings!" Katie chirped as she led Franklin over towards the swing set. She was hoping something simple like swinging and talking would bring the shy blond out of his shell, if that didn't work she'd have to find some other way to put a smile on her new friend's face. _I guess I could always throw a ball with him,_ she thought._ Even if Julie just painted my nails for me last night._

As, the pair sat on the swings, Franklin's nerves were still in overdrive. _Maybe I should say sorry for how I'm actin'. Hopefully she doesn't think I'm a crybaby because of how nervous I am…_

"Thanks for playing with me," he said softly while poking his fingers together. "I don't get to meet new people that much so I get scared."

"Hey! I said no more being scared, silly!" Katie said in mock outrage as she poked him in the ribs. He jumped and squeaked in surprise, causing her to smirk mischievously. "Hmm, so you're ticklish, huh?" She drawled as she inched closer to him, hands held out as if reaching for him. _Oh I am __**so**__ gonna enjoy this!_

"N-No!" He stammered, backing away from the now grinning girl. "Y-You just surprised me that's all!"

"Hmmm, that could be true." Katie said, bringing her finger to her chin in a mock thinking pose while readying to pounce on her prey. "But let's find out for sure!" She leapt and pinned Franklin to the ground and then began tickling his sides mercilessly. Peals of laughter emitted from the fallen boy, and his captor had no intention of letting him up just yet.

"Katie! HAHAHAHA! S-S-Stoooop! P-Plea- HAHAHAHA P-Please! HAHAHAHA!" He begged as he tried in vain to squirm away from her tickling hands.

"I don't think so, Frankie!" She teased as she moved her hands over his stomach, which caused his laughter to grow in volume. "I've been tryin' so hard to get you to smile, so I wanna make sure it stays!"

"It –HAHA- will! I pr-HAHAHAHA-promise! I'll st-st-AHAHAHAHA-op bein' scared!"

"Alright," She said, satisfied with her work. "I'll let you up, but if you go back to bein' a fraidy cat…" She paused to pinch his sides, eliciting another yelp from the pinned boy. "Then I'll have to tickle you again! Deal?"

Franklin took a moment to catch his breath; his body still shaking with laughter as he nodded his head. "Yeah…. I'll stop bein' scared…" He said as an idea came to him. He fought the smirk that threatened to form on his face and continued. "Can you help me up?"

Unaware that her victim was plotting retribution, Katie got off of him and held out her hand, grinning widely at her success. An "Eep" of surprise replaced her grin when Franklin pulled her down and pinned her, reversing the roles. He wasted no time in tickling her stomach, causing her to shriek with laughter.

"Fr-Fra-AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-nkie! No fa-AHAHAHAHA-ir!" Katie cried as she tried to writhe away from his tickle torture. _This isn't how I planned this out!_

"But Kaaaaaatiiiiiiie!" He whined playfully as he tickled faster. "I'm just tryin' to make sure you're as happy and smiley as I am! Aren't I such a good friend?" His smirk had grown into a full-blown fox-faced grin when he finished. Revenge is sweet.

"Okay! Oka-AHAHAHAHAHA-ay! I'm happy! I'm happy! Please –HAHAHAHAHA- stop! AHAHAHAHAHA!" She pleaded, she was laughing so hard that tears were starting to stream down her face.

Franklin got off of her and held out his hand to help her back on her feet, warily as she might try to pull the same trick he just did. As their hand met, Franklin felt a spark as another vision came to him.

FRANKLIN'S VISION

Four children two boys and two girls, were fighting against a group of armed robbers, each of the children were wearing a strange spandex looking outfit. The four kids were using their powers in tandem, showing an incredible display of teamwork. Heck, give them a few more years and they might be on the same level as the Fantastic Four. The youngest girl, who was wearing yellow and black, caught Franklin's attention, _She looks like Katie!_ He thought as the fight played out. _No, she __**is**__ Katie!_

"Don't let that one get away Alex!" She shouted as she fired energy bolts at her target.

"Codenames, Energizer!" He snapped back as he levitated two of the robbers and knocked them together.

"Whoops! Sorry, A- I mean, Zero G!"

FRANKLIN'S VISION END

"Frankie? Hey, Frankie, you in there?" Franklin was shaken out of the vision by a hand waving in front of his face. He shook his head and looked toward Katie, who had a concerned look on her face.

"Uh... Yeah, sorry about that. Just a headache." He replied shakily, rubbing his temples for good measure.

Katie looked like she wanted to continue, but the bell rang, signaling the end of recess. As the pair walked back inside Franklin's mind was racing. _I can't believe it! Katie's a mutant like me! But that means, that my dream…_

_My dream is the future…_

**Chapter End**

**Ok, this is shorter than the other chapters, but it's for a reason. I'll try to update a bit sooner this time. **

**Ok, I know you probably hate me for the teaser at the end, but you'll see why I did it next chapter. Review and let me know what you thought. **


	7. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Harry Potter**_** series or Marvel comics****, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**I thank everyone who's reviewed for their input and/or support. Special thanks to dgenxman, we've been exchanging messages and ideas over the last couple of days, and he's been a great help as far as organizing and creativity. I'll make note of his influence on the story in the preambles of the chapters to come when they occur.**

**I'm glad that some of you seem to like the meeting I arranged for Harry/Franklin and Katie, the story is going to pick up where I left off. In other words, it's time to see how the dream from last chapter plays out. **

"_Telepathic speech_."

"{Alien language.}"

"Computer speech."

**Chapter 5: Joining the Club Part 1 – Interrogation and the New Pack Member**

**New York City, New York**

There is an unwritten code that all superheroes follow. Within this set of guidelines, rule number one is the most important as breaking it blurs the lines between hero and villain. That rule is: **NEVER** try to find out the secret identity of another hero, if they want you to know they'll tell you. This rule is even more important when said hero is the established figure in the region.

The main reasons for rule number one are quite simple. The first is that it leads to moral problems. For example, how should one react when they find out they're best friend is capable of shooting energy bolts out of their body or destroying things with a mere thought?

However, the second reason is the most important and frightening. Should you reveal that you know the identity of a hero, you are essentially putting a large bulls-eye on your back. You become a target for not only villains, but the hero and his or her allies, because they don't know your intent. With villains like Doctor Doom and Mister Sinister, this paranoia is understandable.

Franklin's mind was racing as this startling realization hit him. He had, albeit unintentional, broken rule number one on the first day of meeting Katie Power! Heck, the fact that he now knew that one of her allies was named Alex made it even worse! _I might as well walk around Central Park with a sign reading 'I know who you are, Katie, come blast me!'_ he thought bitterly as he tried, and failed, not to sweat as he sat next to Katie, waiting for school to end.

Meanwhile, Katie wasn't sure whether she should be frustrated that Franklin was being nervous again, or concerned that he looked like he was about to go into shock. _What's wrong with him? He was fine until the end of recess. _She thought as she watched him glance at the clock for the fourth time in as many minutes. _That's it! I'm finding out as soon as we get out of class._

The bell rang, causing Franklin to jump as his ears were assaulted by the loud noise. When he finally realized that class was over he grabbed his backpack and rushed to the door, fully intending to give Katie the slip until he figured out what to do. He only managed to get one foot out of the classroom before a small hand grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to stop.

"What's wrong, Franklin?" Katie asked. "You're sweating like you just ran a race."

Franklin paused, unsure of how to answer without giving anything away. "Uh… nothing's wrong!" He lied. "I just started feeling a little sick and wanted to get home and lie down, that's all."

"Franklin," Katie said, narrowing her eyes and tightening her grip on his shoulder. "I've known you one day and I can already say you're a bad liar. What's wrong?" _Granted, that's because I've been fighting bad guys who say stuff like 'It wasn't my idea' all the time but I can't tell him that._

Franklin paled and tried to slip out of her grasp but to no avail. He could deal with being caught in a lie, but now he was going to be in even more trouble. Since Katie's hand had made contact with some of his skin, he was hearing her surface thoughts, including that last one. _Oh God no! If she doesn't let go I'm gonna hear every thought in her head! _He thought as he increased his efforts to get away. _C'mon, let go already!_

"What did you say?" Katie said, releasing his shoulder in shock.

Franklin was confused, he hadn't said that last part out loud had he? "Huh? I didn't say anything."

"You just told me to let go!" She said, her voice raising with her temper.

"I think I know what words come out of my mouth!" He snapped.

"I heard you say it! I heard your voice in… in my…. head…" She trailed off as she realized what just happened. "You're a telepath!" She gasped. _That's not good, if I could hear him, he could hear my thoughts too. He knows!_

"What? No!" Franklin was panicking. "What are you talking about?"

Katie ignored his protests, grabbed his arm and began dragging him off toward her destination. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! You're coming with me, we're gonna have a little talk with some people."

"Uh, ummm." Franklin stuttered, trying to find an excuse to help him escape his captor. "You do know my mom is gonna wonder why I'm not at home in time right? I have to tell her or I'll be –"

"Franklin." Katie turned and faced him. Franklin shivered, her smile and voice sounded way too sweet and innocent. Johnny had warned him that sweet smiles and voices meant trouble. "You may be my friend, and I hope you're not lying to try to hurt my family, but if you don't come with me I'll have to _insist_. Got it?"

Franklin nodded frantically and stopped resisting, he had no intention of finding out what her power might be. Katie's smile didn't leave her face as she continued to drag him along like a rag doll. _Why do I have the feeling that this is just the first of many times she'll be this scary?_

Katie pulled him through the throng of people, looking around every once in a while as if searching for someone. She saw a speck of long, auburn hair through the crowd and headed in that direction, tightening her grip as she walked so Franklin couldn't slip away. _Julie might hate it when she gets teased for it, but her hair makes her a lot easier to find in a crowd like this._ "Come on, we're gonna go talk to my brothers and sister."

..._ I think I'd rather be kidnapped by Doctor Doom again. At least then I wouldn't have to deal with wondering whether or not I'll get killed._ Franklin thought as he was dragged toward his fate.

Jack was the first to see Katie and her soon-to-be victim come into view, the fact that she was holding his hand made it even funnier in his eyes. _I'm gonna pay for this later,_ _but this is just too good to pass up!_ He grinned and spoke up loudly. "Would ya look at that! Katie's already got a boyfriend!"

Both Katie and Franklin flushed in embarrassment. "He's not my boyfriend!" She snapped. "He's my friend and I was bringing him over because we have to talk to you guys!"

"Calm down, Katie. And stop antagonizing her, Jack." Alex said, trying to stop the impending argument and get to whatever Katie wanted to talk about. "Alright, Katie, you've got our attention, what do you need?"

"Not here," She hissed. "There are too many people!"

"Then where exactly do you plan on having this all important discussion?" Julie asked, amused and somewhat curious as to what Katie would think to be so urgent.

"You're not gonna like it, but it's gonna have to be on_ Friday_ –"

"What the heck!" Jack snapped. "Are you freaking stupid! What part of 'secret' do you not understand?"

"I'll explain when we get there." She said, gritting her teeth in annoyance. "What part of 'too many people' do _you_ not understand?"

Franklin watched in morbid fascination as energy sparks jumped between Katie's fingers. He decided that it would be a good idea to try to leave while Katie was preoccupied with her brother. "Uh, I really hate to cut in here, but I've gotta go or my mom's gonna get really mad." Franklin said as he started to edge away from the arguing pair, hoping that the older Power siblings would buy his excuse.

"Oh no," Katie said, grabbing his arm and jerking him back to her side. "You're not going anywhere until I say you can!"

"Katie, we can't just hold him here for no good –"

"He knows, Alex."

Alex paused, trying to wrack his brain for what that could possibly mean. "Come again?"

Katie looked at him, a look of urgency shown on her face. "He heard me think about the Pack." She said, touching her index finger to her temple as she said this. "And I didn't say it _out loud_."

The older Powers gaped when the realization finally hit them, they turned to look at Franklin who looked quite embarrassed. "I-I wasn't trying to, it was an accident! Honest!"

"I think I have to agree with Katie on this one," Julie said, once she found her voice. "Will continue this onboard _Friday_."

"But what about my parents?"

"Here," Alex said, holding out his cell phone. "Call them and just tell them you've made a friend and are going over to her house."

Franklin glared back at him. "She'll know I'm lying, she always does." _And I'd rather have you mad at me than her._

"Technically you're not," Julie said. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "We're not going to hurt you, we just want to know how much you found out and decide where to go from here." At Franklin's questioning look, she continued. "We need to decide what your… involvement is going to be. That's all, I promise."

"… Alright, I guess." Franklin said, still unsure that he wasn't in any trouble.

"In other words," Jack cut in, mischievously grinning at the opportunity to mess with the younger boy. "We're gonna chain you to a chair, interrogate you, and then send you to sleep with the fishes."

Franklin's eyes widened in fright and he quickly hid behind Katie, who resumed her glare at her annoying older brother. "Oh, just shut up, Jack! Calm down, Frankie, he's just tryin' to be funny. It won't happen again. _Isn't that right, Jack?_" She said, narrowing her eyes as she said the last part.

"Geez, a bit overprotective for someone you just met. You sure he isn't –"

"IT TOOK ME NEARLY ALL DAY TO GET HIM TO STOP STUTTERIN'!" Katie shrieked, energy sparks were once again jumping off her hands, though much more frequently now. "YOU GOIN' ON LIKE ONE OF YOUR STUPID CRIME BOSS SHOWS ISN'T HELPIN'!"

"Okay, both of you knock it off! And calm down, Katie, you're about to energize the sidewalk." Alex chided. The fact that Katie's powers acted up when she was angry was a huge problem given her short temper. While Jack might deserve to get blasted sometimes, doing so in public would bring a lot of attention from the anti-mutant legislators, not to mention the Snarks. Turning to Franklin, who was still staring wide-eyed at the group, he continued. "Ignoring Jack's need to cause trouble, Julie's right. All we want is to talk, we're just going to a safe place first. Now, call your mom and tell her."

Franklin paused and weighed his options as he started to dial his mom's phone number. On one hand, he could go with them and talk and hope that they kept they're promise. Or, he could run, get chased down by four kids with super powers and then be forced to answer their questions. Needless to say, the choice was obvious…

**Scene Change – Outer Space, Snark Nestship**

Queen Maraud looked on as her small invasion force boarded the Scavenger ships. Soon she would have those damned Power Pack children in her claws, she would take great pleasure in watching them die at her feet.

"{The troops are ready to land on Earth, Mother.}" One Snark soldier reported.

"{Excellent, my dear child.}" Queen Maraud hissed. "{Soon, we will avenge our past humiliation! But this time, I will not watch from the sides!}"

"{W-what do you mean, Mother?}" He asked, shaking at the mad grin that crossed her face.

"{Fear not, child! I am not coming to motivate you through fright! I come so that my vengeance may be dealt in person!}"

**Scene Change – Hovering above the Hudson River, Onboard Smartship **_**Friday**_

"Well now that we're all comfortable and Franklin got his afternoon jog in, shall we begin?" Alex said, clearly amused at the situation.

Franklin crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the floor. Past experience with Doctor Doom and the inhabitants of New Salem left him nearly as paranoid as his parents when it came to other mutants. That being said, he thought he should at least try to run, if anything people would notice him being chased down by a bunch of kids and help him. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that Julie chasing him down would only take less than a second and that she could move faster than the human eye could follow. This was definitely not his day.

Oddly enough, the Powers were a bit _impressed_ that he would have the common sense not to trust a bunch of people he'd just meant just because they "promised" that he'd be safe. Not to say that stopped Jack from teasing him about it.

"Are you sure, Alex?" Jack said, grinning Franklin's attempted glare. "I mean Julie didn't give him much of a chance, maybe next time we should give him a five minute head start."

"Shut up!" Franklin growled. He'd already dealt with Jack on the way to the ship, and it was starting to grate on his nerves.

He nearly jumped when he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his midsection and trap him in place. Looking over his shoulder, he found Katie grinning wickedly at him. "Now, now, don't misbehave, _Frankie_. Or else, I'll have to punish you again." She pinched his sides as she finished speaking, eliciting a yelp of surprise.

He shuddered at her threat. Tickling he could deal with, he didn't want to find out why Alex was alarmed when Katie's hands started sparking and what "energizing" meant. With his luck, it would be something very unpleasant.

"Alright, all kidding and teasing aside, let's get down to business." Julie began. "So, how exactly did you find out about us?"

Franklin sighed, he knew they wouldn't like the answer. "I should probably tell you that it doesn't just begin with meeting Katie today."

"… You've got about a minute to rephrase that in a way that doesn't make me think you're in league with the anti-mutant group or with one of our enemies." Alex said, anger evident in his voice.

"Sorry, that came out wrong!" Franklin replied, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "It started last night, I had a dream about you all."

"You'll have to forgive me for saying that's a little hard to believe." Julie replied.

"It involves my powers, sometimes I can see into the future -"

"Wait, time out!" Jack blurted out. "First you can read minds, now you say you can see the future? Geez, you're not a mutant you're a video game cheat code."

"Jack, focus!" Julie snapped. She was more concerned with finding out all that Franklin knew, information on his powers could wait for now. "Franklin, what exactly did you dream about?"

Franklin sighed and told them what he'd seen in his dream and what he'd found when he read Katie's mind. By the time he finished, the Power siblings were gaping open mouthed at him. While he didn't have information on their origins or powers, the fact that he had two of their codenames would've been cause for concern. His only saving grace was that one of his visions was of him fighting alongside them against the Snarks.

"That's… a lot to take in." Alex said, still trying to process what he'd just learned. "Earlier Jack brought up a good question, what exactly can you do?" Katie, Julie, and Jack leaned closer, none of them wanted to miss this revelation.

Franklin looked around, a bit uneasily, at the Powers. _I feel like I'm a zoo animal_. "Well, you already know I've got telepathy and foresight, but there are a few others."

"Like?" Katie pressed, curiosity evident in her voice.

"I can make astral-projections of myself, I can use some telekinesis, and I can destroy stuff when I'm really angry or scared."

"By destroy do you mean 'blow up'?" Julie asked.

"It depends. I nearly melted the walls in my room at our old house, and I accidentally deleted one of Unca' Johnny's sports cars once." _He nearly had a stroke when he found out. Though watching him cry over "his baby" was fun!_

"… Exactly how strong are your powers?"

Franklin paused, trying to recall something. "I'm not sure. Last time Doctor Doom kidnapped me he said I was an Omega class with the potential to be a 'Celestial', whatever that is."

Alex and Julie exchanged shocked looks. Omega class mutants were those with the power to alter their own genetic makeup, or that of others, at will or those with the ability to warp reality and destroy planets. If that wasn't scary enough, a Celestial mutant was one with powers beyond that. Alex shuddered when he thought of what an angry Franklin might be like in a few years. "Franklin," He started a bit nervously. "You said you accidentally deleted a car, what exactly do you mean by that?"

"It was there one second, and the next it was completely gone. No parts or ashes."

_Ok, __**that's**__ a scary power!_ Alex thought. "Right… how well can you control your powers?"

Franklin looked back down at the ground in shame, he hated talking about his control, or lack thereof. "Not too good. If I want to use one of my powers, I have to think about using that power and nothin' else. But Auntie Agatha helped me learn how to use my foresight without meditating and Captain America taught me how to fight with it a bit!" Of course, that basically meant that he spent most of his time dodging punches but it was a good exercise for him.

"How far into the future can you see?" Jack asked, excited at the prospects. _Maybe I can get him to help me with some of my tests later on_.

"When I'm sleeping or meditating it can be anywhere from somethin' on the other side of the planet to somethin' that'll happen years from now. When I'm doing it casually, I can see about ten seconds forward. When I'm fighting, I can see three seconds forward."

"Dude… that's pathetic." Jack deadpanned.

"Actually, it's not." Julie said. "If he can see ten seconds into the future when he's able to focus on it, he'd be a big asset in a fight. He could be a strategist!"

"That's great but there's just one problem: how would I tell you what I see while you're fighting?"

"What about your telepathy?" Katie asked. "If you're sitting somewhere safe, you could focus on seeing the future and talking to us! Have you ever tried that?"

"Yeah, that could work." He said.

"And you're sure that your control is that good when you have time to focus?" Alex asked. With the powers he'd just heard, he didn't want to risk something getting destroyed by their little experiment.

"Well… that's why my dad built a limiter for me."

"What limiter?" Katie asked. "I haven't seen anythin' that looks weird on you all day."

"That's because it's hidden." He replied as he started to lift his shirt, revealing a metallic belt that wrapped around his waist. "What were you expecting? A giant helmet? This thing lets me use some power but cuts me off when I start to lose control."

"And you're sure this works? I, for one, don't fancy being blown out of reality because some human's toy ran out of batteries."

Franklin jumped. "What the heck is that?" He yelled, frightened by the sound of the disembodied voice.

"I'm the smartship, _Friday_, you silly monkey child!" The voice called back mockingly.

"Don't be mean, _Friday_!" Katie scolded. "Frankie's new, he didn't know you could talk.

"Sorry, Katie, but I've got a bit of bad news. My long-range radar just picked up a ship on a course for Earth. I'll give you three guesses as to who it is."

"The Snarks!" All four siblings cried.

"The who?" Franklin asked, feeling like he was missing something rather important.

"The Snarks, kiddo. They're a bunch of big lizard looking aliens that live for killing."

"What could they want with Earth?"

"Us." Alex answered. "We don't have time to tell you the full story right now, but when we first got our powers, we fought against them. It looks like they're coming back for revenge."

"What do we do then?"

"We," Alex gestured to his siblings and himself. "Are going to fight them when they land, you're staying here."

"Why? I can help too!" Franklin cried. If his friends were going to fight, he was **not** going to watch safely while they might die.

"Franklin," Julie said softly. "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? I already told you how you can help if you want to."

"Huh?"

"You can tell us what's going to happen while we're fighting." She explained, smiling when his eyes lit up in realization. "You're job is the most important, you're our strategist."

"Okay, I'll try." He said, determined to prove himself.

"Great!" Alex grinned at the newest member. "Now that we've got this all settled, here's the plan: _Friday_, we need you to drop us off on the shore."

"Got it, just tell me where they're going and I'll get you close."

"Franklin, can you look ahead and tell us where they plan to land?"

Franklin nodded before closing his eyes and raising his hands to his forehead. After a few seconds, he saw a group of five triangle shaped ships landing near an old looking warehouse by the docks. In front of the warehouse stood a sign which read "New York City Harbor". "They're headed for the New York City Harbor. I think they're trying to sneak into the city before starting their attack!"

"Got it, kiddo! On our way!" _Friday_'s boosters fired up as it raced towards the harbor.

"Thanks, _Friday_!" Alex said. "Franklin, you're staying here. Now are you sure you can talk to us telepathically?"

"_Does this answer your question?_" The Powers jumped as Franklin's voice echoed in their minds, he grinned mischievously at their surprised looks.

"Wow, that sounds weird even though I already heard you do it earlier." Katie said.

"_Gee, thanks…_"

"Ok, I'm going to put you down at the docks. We're landing now!" _Friday_ reported as it began its descent.

"Alright, now that we've tested this out, we're ready to go." Alex said as _Friday_'s entrance ramp opened to reveal the docks below. "_Friday_, hide yourself underwater during the fight. Franklin should be able to tell you when it's over."

"Right-o, Alex! Good luck!" _Friday_ fired its boosters and headed out to the deeper waters. "Hey, Frankie, any chance you might have another look ahead?"

"What? Oh, right, hang on!" He closed his eyes and concentrated. This time he saw about twenty Snarks attacking the Pack. As the vision continued, he noticed a larger figure in the back, this one looked like it was leading the others. It had a more… regal look to it. "I see about twenty of those Snark things fighting them, but I saw a bigger one. It looked like it was the leader."

"A bigger one? What was it wearing?"

"I didn't see all of its clothes, but I definitely saw a big crown looking thing."

"That's Queen Maraud! Call the kids and warn them!"

"On it!" "_Guys, big trouble! I just saw a vision of the Snarks landin'! There's about twenty regular ones but the Queen's with them!_" He waited for the group to respond, but he didn't hear anything. "_Guys? Can you hear me?_" "I can't hear them!"

"What do you mean you can't hear them?"

"When I use telepathy, I can usually hear people think back to me! But I can't hear them now!"

"You said you could do this!"

"I can! There must –" Franklin's eyes widened as he realized his problem. "The limiter's blocking me!"

"But Katie said she heard you didn't she?" The ship's voice sounded alarmed.

"She was standing right in front of me! It takes more power to use telepathy the farther away we go!"

"Can't you just pull it off?"

"No, my dad set it to unlock only if I was in a big fight! Otherwise, it'll only come off when he enters the code!"

"Then we've got to get that thing off of you! Give me a second, I'm opening my tool compartment. Hopefully, you can find something that'll work!" Suddenly, a large drawer hissed open next to Franklin. "My inventory shows that there should be a laser cutter in there. Will that work?"

"Uh, let's not use that." Franklin stammered. "I need it off for a little bit, I don't wanna destroy it and maybe lose control."

"How about a screwdriver? I have one of those."

"Yeah! I can use that to take out the batteries!" He cheered and set to work.

"He used batteries to power a limiter for a kid with the potential to blow up the planet?" Disbelief was evident in the ship's voice.

"They're solar powered."

"Ooooh, never mind then."

Franklin worked as fast as he could, he had about five screws to remove before he could call the Pack. _I hope I'm not too late! Be safe for just a little longer guys!_

**Chapter End**

**Wow, I feel mean. After waiting two weeks to update, I leave you with another cliffhanger. I'll make it up to you in the next chapter! Speaking of which, I stopped giving previews but I think you all deserve this one for being patient with me.**

**Next chapter: It's the final encounter between the Snarks and the Power Pack and Franklin earns his codename!**

**That being said, what do you think our hero will be called? Review with what you think of the chapter and what his name might be! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Harry Potter **_**series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**Ok, some readers have commented on the last chapter and said they enjoyed it. To all those who weighed in, thanks, as always, for your reviews. I apologize that this chapter took me a bit longer than intended. A combination of me trying to make sure the fight scene flowed and having to do paperwork for college delayed me a bit. **

**This chapter will be the finale of Franklin's meeting with the Pack. Hopefully, the fight appeals to you; it should provide a good showing of the Pack members using their powers in combination with Franklin's. **

**I mentioned in the preview from last chapter that Franklin would be getting his codename, so it would only be fair if I told you the codenames for the rest of the Power Pack as well. They are as follows:**

**Alex: Zero-G (as in Zero Gravity)**

**Julie: Lightspeed**

**Jack: Mass Master**

**Katie: Energizer**

**These names are the original Marvel names for the group, and as always I don't own them. They will address one another by these names when they talk in battle. Since Franklin doesn't know all of their codenames yet (he only heard Katie's and Alex's during the vision) he won't address them by it when he's talking telepathically in this chapter, they'll tell him later.**

"_Telepathic speech_"

"{Alien language}"

"Computer speech"

**Chapter 6: Joining the Club Part 2: Player Five has Signed In**

**New York Harbor Docking and Warehousing, New York**

While Franklin was struggling to remove his limiter, all Hell was breaking loose on the dock. Luckily, the Pack were ready for the Snarks to land, what caught them off guard was the numbers they were faced with. While all of them were fully capable of fighting with their powers, going up against twenty Snarks and the Queen was a bit much.

The four siblings were fighting with their usual strategy, complementing one another's powers by having Jack lay down cover and choke opponents in his cloud form, Julie would then run through and pick off those who tried to escape the cloud, Alex would levitate any that Julie didn't get and either drop them hard enough to knock them out or he'd hold them up for Katie to blast into next week. Finally, Katie was responsible for laying down suppression fire, taking out larger targets with a high-powered energy bolt, and blasting any that Alex levitated up for her. After using it the first few times, they were so used to doing it that they could almost have a normal conversation while battling New York's criminals.

This strategy had its merits, but there was one problem. The Snarks had experience with facing these powers. After taking note of what the Power kids were doing, they altered their own strategy to try to separate the four from one another. Once they'd accomplished that, the fight had devolved into something more akin to trench warfare. The siblings would use their powers to gain ground, only to be forced back by suppressive fire from the larger Snark force.

They also had to worry about Queen Maraud, who was no slouch when it came to combat herself. Her skills with her large metalloid pike made her a formidable foe once she was in range to use it. Julie's super speed was the only thing that saved her from being cut in half when she first tried to subdue the vengeful monarch.

"Lightspeed, watch out behind you!" Jack shouted as he went into cloud form to cover Julie's escape. "Where the heck is Franklin? I thought he was gonna help us!"

Alex levitated a pair of Snarks and threw them into the harbor. "Cool it, Mass Master! He's probably having trouble using his powers so much! He's wearing that limiter, remember?" He paused and ducked as a Snark was sent flying over his head by one of Katie's energy bolts. "How're you holding up, Energizer?"

"How do you think?" She shot back as she dove behind a crate to dodge a few lasers shots. "I'd be doing a lot better if I had enough time to really charge up and aim!"

"_Guys? Can you hear me?_" Franklin's voice suddenly rang out in their heads.

"Welcome to the party," Julie drawled as she delivered a high speed punch to a Snark, sending him flying into a warehouse wall. "What took you so long?"

"_Sorry about that,_"Katie was sure that if she were looking at him now, she'd see him poking his fingers together like earlier."_I had to adjust to the distance between us and find a way to use enough power so I could project my thoughts to all of you at once. It's a lot harder than I thought._"

"Uh, what?" Jack said. Franklin's explanation went right over his head.

The Pack could've sworn they heard Franklin heave a sigh of frustration from his end of the connection. "_It's hard to talk to all of you at the same time from so far away._"

"Oh! Why didn't you say so?" He said as he resumed his solid form and kicked a Snark in the snout.

"_I did say so! Never mind! Jack, back to cloud form they're about to shoot you in the back! Katie, move to a different hiding spot, they're about to blast through your crate!_" Both siblings followed his orders without question, marveling at the accuracy of the psychic child's ability.

"Nice job, Frankie!" Katie cheered as she fired a pair of energy bolts into the crowd of Snarks. "We really owe you for that one!" _Wow, Julie was right! Having Frankie tell us what's about to happen is great help!_

"_Anytime, Katie, but stay focused!_" He answered. "_Alex, there's a Snark trying to climb on top of the warehouse on your left. Bring he down before he gets a chance to shoot!_"

"On it!" The older boy said as he spun around and saw the alien climbing for the roof. "Hey, ugly! Fight's down here!" He yelled as his gravity manipulation dragged the helpless Snark back down to Earth. Alex winced as the lizard creature's body hit with a sickening thud. That was one Snark that wouldn't be getting up any time soon. _Man, I wasn't trying to drop him that hard. I almost feel sorry for the guy… lizard… thing._

Unfortunately, Alex wasn't paying enough attention to his surroundings or to Franklin's telepathic warning. Queen Maraud was bearing down on him, raising her pike to deal a deathblow to the Pack leader. With a roar she brought it down, "Die! Monkey scum!" Alex spun around only to see the pike begin its downward arc towards his head. He closed his eyes, waiting for the end to come as Julie, Katie, and Jack screamed in terror.

"What sorcery is this?" The Snark Queen raged. Alex opened his eyes and couldn't help but stare in disbelief. Queen Maraud's pike had been stopped less than an inch away from his forehead. That he could deal with, heck if that was all he'd chalk it up to reflexively using his powers to levitate the weapon out of her hands. What surprised him was that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't force her body to move enough to finish the strike or pull back for another attempt. Her limbs were all but frozen in place!

As the group stared, Franklin's voice once again cut into their thoughts. Though it sounded strained. "_I'm sure this looks like a miracle in person, but now might be a good time to move!_" Julie snapped out of her daze first, she bolted over and grabbed her gaping older brother and dragged him behind a warehouse. "_Katie, blast her! I can't hold her for long!_"

"Oh! Right!" Katie replied as she charged up a large energy bolt, using both hands to focus more energy for this shot. "Special delivery!" She yelled, launching her attack.

"You insolent – ACK!" Maraud was cut off by the energy bolt hitting her chest, the force of the attack sent her flying through a warehouse wall.

"Mother!" The remaining Snarks cried in anguish as they ran to tend to their fallen Queen. The injured Queen stood up on wobbling legs, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs brought on by her impact.

Jack sighed as he watched the vengeful Queen shout death threats to the Pack, he gave Katie a look, letting her know that they needed to fall back and regroup with Alex and Julie. _This fight isn't over by a long shot!_

He had no idea how right he was, nor could he have ever guessed what was to come.

**Scene Change – Aboard Smartship **_**Friday**_

Franklin gasped for breath, exhausted from using his powers so much. He was sitting Indian style on the floor in _Friday_'s cockpit, trying to maintain focus on the task at hand through meditation. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he pushed his limits, he'd never consciously used this much power before.

_Friday_ was starting to get a bit concerned for its newest charge's wellbeing. The ship's A.I. unit was indeed a sarcastic voice whenever there was the opportunity, but it looked at the Power siblings as if they were family. Technically, when Whitey transferred his powers to the kids, he adopted them and made them honorary Kymellians. Since Franklin had been inducted into the Pack, at least temporarily, he was now a member of their little family. "You alright there, kiddo?" It asked. "My sensors indicate that your body temperature and heart rate are skyrocketing! "

"I'm… fine… just a bit… tired." He said in between breaths. "I've never… tried using… telekinesis… from so… far away." _I'm actually amazed I was able to keep control for so long._

"Not that I'm trying to judge, but isn't this a bad time to experiment with stuff like that?"

"It was either that, or let the Queen split Alex's head open." He retorted humorlessly.

"… I withdraw my objection." Franklin could have sworn that the computer sounded a bit sheepish, but perhaps that was just his imagination. "Anyways, maybe you should take a break. I can't imagine that exhaustion would help your control, especially without your limiter."

"You're probably right," He admitted, sounding a bit disappointed that he couldn't help his friends for much longer. "I should probably let them know first, then I'll put my limiter back on and meditate for a –" He was cut off as _Friday_ lurched forward unexpectedly. "What the heck was that?"

"We're gaining altitude! In a few seconds, we'll break the water's surface and be visible!"

Franklin's eyes widened in shock, this was not part of the plan. "What?! I thought we were supposed to stay under!"

"I'm not doing it! I never activated my anti-gravity boosters, something else is causing this!" As _Friday_ spoke, Franklin noticed that the tool kit from earlier and the batteries that he'd removed from his limiter were starting to levitate and float around the cockpit. "What the heck is going on? My inner sensors are going haywire!"

"Uh, I think I used too much of my powers." Franklin said nervously as he tried to regain control, but to no avail. "I can't stop this! I've lost control!"

Before _Friday_ could respond, Katie's voice cut through his thoughts. "_Frankie! What the heck is going on here?_"

"What are you talking about?" He said, noting the fright in her voice.

**Scene Change – New York City Harbor Docking and Warehousing**

Katie had very good reason to be alarmed.

One minute, the two sides were fighting with everything they had. Next thing they knew, gravity just seemed to stop working on the entire harbor. The Snarks, the Pack, all of the debris from the fight, and even the fork lifts had been picked up by some unseen force and were being slowly pulled upwards. It was as if someone had activated an anti-gravity field in the middle of the battle!

Grabbing onto a roof edge or a light pole didn't help much, all that accomplished was slowing the person, or alien, down briefly before the object was dragged up with them. One panicking Snark had unwittingly attempted to grab hold of the sparking end of a live power line to stop his ascent. Needless to say, he wouldn't be joining the fight again when this phenomenon ended.

Luckily for the Power siblings, Alex was able to use his gravity manipulation to halt their ascent to the sky, for now at least. The kids were hanging onto whatever they could grab, making use of Alex's power and whatever they could get a hold of to slowly try to climb back down to Earth. It was slow going, but they somehow managed to drag themselves down to about five feet from the pavement.

However, Alex's panic caused his powers to go a bit out of control and affect a wider area than intended. Unbeknownst to the Pack, Queen Maraud was in this affected area and was slowly making her way to the ground as well.

"Everything's floating in the air!" Julie yelled, panic evident in her voice. "And Zero-G swears he isn't doing it!"

"I'm not!" The older boy shouted. "My powers barely got us back down! Any ideas?"

"_Uh… I think I know what's going on._" Franklin replied, embarrassed. "_Using telekinesis over such a big distance to stop the Queen's attack needed a lot of effort, so I tired myself out._"

"What's that got to do with everything floating around?" Jack snapped.

"_I'm getting there! When I tired myself out, I lost control of my powers._"

"I thought you said you had a limiter for that!" Alex said, hoping that Franklin hadn't done anything stupid. "You didn't take it off, right?"

"_What? Uh, I mean, no! I'd never do that!_"

"Frankie," Katie growled. "Don't lie to us."

Despite their situation, Alex and Julie were somewhat amused when they heard an audible gulp from Franklin's end of the connection. Apparently, Katie already had her new friend trained that he'd be punished if he lied. "_Oh fine! I took it off! But only because I couldn't reach you guys telepathically with it on!_"

"Great braniac!" Jack yelled, not bothering to hide his anger. "How 'bout you get the stupid thing back on?"

"_Oh, really?_" The psychic kindergartner sarcastically replied."_What the heck do you think I'm trying to do, have a picnic with Friday?_"

"Well that seems right up your alley right now! Why would you even consider taking that thing off if you knew something like this might happen?"

"_You mean other than saving your brother from having his head split down the middle?_" Silence greeted his answer. "_That's what I thought, now be a good boy and shut up! I'm trying to find the last–OW!_" The group winced as they felt a brief flash of pain through the link. "_Stupid freakin' wrench. HA! There's the screw! This'll only take a minute, guys! We're gonna lose connection though._"

"Make it sooner," Julie said nervously as she stared at the harbor in shock. One of the _**That**__ shouldn't be possible._ "You're starting to levitate one of the cargo ships!"

"… _Oops… Hang on… almost… there!_" As Franklin finished and the connection went silent, the Pack dropped to the ground with a thud, the impact was a bit worse due to Alex's gravity powers.

Everything that Franklin's powers had levitated came crashing down to their original place. Crates and freight boxes shattered on impact, the ship, which had luckily only lifted a few feet out of the water, fell into place with a loud groan of protest.

The Snarks' fate, however, was the worst. Since they weren't within Alex's gravity field, nothing stopped them from floating up hundreds of feet. When Franklin's powers were cut off, the fall was instantly fatal.

Meanwhile, Queen Maraud pulled her battered body out from under a pile of crates. She winced as the pain from her fall hit her like a ton of bricks, but it quickly evaporated when she saw that those cursed Power brats were still alive. She sneered and began creeping toward the momentarily distracted group. She would have her revenge if it was the last thing she did!

**Scene Change – Onboard Smartship **_**Friday**_

Franklin sighed in relief as everything in the cockpit stopped floating around and gravity was restored. While he loved using his powers and thought they were impressive, it was still very frightening whenever he lost control. He shuddered when he realized that he'd nearly killed his friends in his zeal to help them, hopefully they wouldn't be too mad.

"Well," He began, voice ringing with forced cheerfulness. "Now that I'm not unintentionally making this place look like something from _Alice in Wonderland_, I think we're good."

"I swear you're crazy!" _Friday_ shot back. "How the heck do you bounce from happy to serious, to scared, to sarcastic, and back? I think you need to get checked, kiddo."

"Oh, shut up you overgrown toaster!" Franklin retorted jokingly. While sending telepathic warnings to the Pack, he found that _Friday_ was easy to get along with and actually quite fun to talk to. The sarcastic A.I. could certainly break the tension in just about any situation with its remarks and had easily broken Franklin out of his shell and introduced him to the fine art of friendly teasing. "At least I didn't think using a laser cutter was a good idea."

"Touché. But now what do we do? You were supposed to be helping them with your foresight."

"Give me a minute," He answered. "I'll check and see if the fight's still going on." He closed his eyes and brought his hands to his temples, focusing on the future. After a few seconds his eyes snapped open in horror from his vision. "Get us to the docks now! They're in trouble!"

"Wait a minute, Alex said we should stay here until the fighting's over."

"You don't understand! The Queen is still fighting them!" He shouted. "If we don't get there soon it might be too late!"

"I've made an executive decision," The ship replied as it fired its boosters. "Hang on tight, kiddo! We'll be there in a few seconds. How close do you need to be to do your telepathy thing again?"

"I'm not using telepathy this time, I'm gonna help them fight."

"What? Kid, you're brave and all, but Julie went over this with you earlier: you're a support member right now, you're not ready to be a straight on fighter yet."

"I don't care!" He yelled back as his eyes began to water. "I'm not sitting here while my friends are fighting for their lives! I'll go help them even if I have to pull off the limiter and make you fly me over!"

_Friday_ was silent for a moment as it considered (or calculated, if you prefer) the young boy's words. Granted, they were said while he was panicking and could be taken for nonsensical talk, but he could be a better help if he were there in person. After all, he'd done a number on the harbor from a distance, even if he did it accidentally. At closer range, he might have more control over his telekinesis. It was a huge risk, but the payoff could be a lot bigger. "Alright, kiddo. I sure hope you know what you're doing, as much as I hate to say it, Maraud's not Queen of the Snarks for nothing. She's one tough lizard."

"I know, I'm the one who had the visions, remember?"

"Good point. Now, there's one more little problem with your plan."

"Huh?" Franklin replied, drawing a blank. He went through his mental checklist and couldn't come up with anything he was missing. "What do you mean? I know I have to concentrate on my powers and watch out for the Queen, what else is there?"

"Your clothes, kiddo!" Franklin could've sworn that _Friday_ was excited for this, as if it enjoyed doing this. "I said it to the other kiddies and I'll say it again, you can't go fighting baddies in your walking clothes!"

Franklin couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile. "I don't know if you haven't noticed, but I'm not Spider Man, I don't have my costume under my shirt, ready to do battle at a moment's notice."

"You don't have a costume _now_, silly little monkey!" _Friday _teased as energy lights started circling its charge. Franklin nearly jumped when he noticed the lights surrounding him. He'd only seen something like this when the Power Pack was suiting up for battle. "I'm going to do the same thing I did for the others, consider it a little welcome to the team present!"

Franklin watched in awe as his clothes started changing into a uniform similar to what he saw the Pack wearing in his visions. The traditional black secondary color was again present in this suit, but Franklin's personal color was a very dark orange. Franklin smiled as he examined his new uniform, but frowned in confusion when he noticed the symbol on his chest. It looked vaguely familiar. "Uh, _Friday_, what's the eye on my chest for?"

"When my original owner came here, we researched your human culture for historical references. That's something I came across while we were checking out the Egyptians, they used to call it the 'Eye of Horus'. Nowadays, it's called the 'all-seeing eye of God' and is shown on the back of the American one-dollar bill. I thought it fit in with your abilities."

"Cool," He muttered as he traced the logo with his fingers. He grinned widely when a thought came to him, one that he desperately wished he could share with one specific member of the family right now. _My suit is way cooler than Johnny's!_

"I hate to interrupt you musings," _Friday_ began. "But you might want to look alive, we'll be touching down in ten seconds. I've got it so you'll be heading in from the public entrance."

Franklin took one last moment to clear his head of any thoughts unrelated to the current situation, this would most likely take every ounce of concentration and the minimal combat training he had. His main trump card would be that he was fighting as part of a group that did have the experience. _This is it, no turning back now._ He thought, trying to bolster his confidence. _I've got this! I can do this! I - Oh who the heck am I kidding? I'm going into a fight with barely any control of my powers and even less experience using them in a fight. I might as well right 'Dead Idiot' across my forehead. _With that last slightly cynical thought, he sprinted down the ramp and towards the harbor.

**Scene Change – New York City Harbor Docking and Warehousing**

As Franklin rushed to aid his friends, the tide had turned against the Pack. Maraud had snuck up on Alex and sent him sprawling with a swipe of her massive claws and was able to knock Jack aside with her tail before he could shift into cloud form and make her suffocate. Fortunately, Julie's quick thinking and reflexes enabled her to grab Katie and put distance between them and the Snark Queen. Now, she just had to get in and drag Alex to safety before the vengeful Queen turned her attention back to him.

Jack stood up shakily and glared at the enraged form of Queen Maraud. He loved causing trouble and teasing Katie was one of his favorite pastimes. But when it came down to it, he was **very** protective of her, especially when fighting criminals and Snarks; as far as he was concerned, no one was allowed to even think about messing with his sister but him. He shrunk himself down and made his way over to his self-proclaimed mortal enemy, she would rue the day she ever crossed the Power family.

The ever-observant Julie noticed her miniature brother moving to mount his counter-attack and came up with a desperate plan. She knew she needed to move fast and she'd need all the help she could get. "Energizer, I need you to cover me while a grab Zero-G, can you do that without hitting Mass Master?"

Katie could tell that her sister was joking as she said the last part of her sentence so she responded in kind. "Well, I suppose I could _try_, but no guarantees on having a non-singed brother afterwards." Julie rolled her eyes at the mischievous smirk on Katie's face. "Don't worry, Mass Master and I can take care of sewer breath, you just get Zero-G out of the way."

Julie nodded and took off at top speed towards her downed brother, hoping she could move him without much interference from Maraud.

Katie's eyes flashed with determination as she turned to face the Snark Queen, who was currently having difficulty with the downsized Jack. Though he was only three inches tall, his punches were carried a lot of force due to his compressed density. Katie suppressed a snicker at the frustrated lizard Queen and charged up. "Hey ugly!" She yelled. The insult from the familiar voice of one of her most hated enemies caused Maraud to turn at her and glare indignantly, only to get an energy bolt to the face.

"AARRG!" Queen Maraud screeched as she covered her face reflexively. "Damn, insolent, filthy human!" She raged, her voice increasing in volume and shrillness with every word. "I'll rip your heart out with my bare claws!" With a roar, she charged after Katie, fully intending to carry out her threat.

Katie charged up a few more energy bolts and fired them as she backpedalled, trying to put distance between herself and the crazed alien. Unfortunately, Maraud's rage and murderous intent grew with every hit her body endured.

_Maybe annoying the short-tempered lizard wasn't my best idea_. Katie thought as she turned tail and tried to run. At this most inopportune moment, Murphy's Law seemed to come into effect. Since Katie was looking back over her shoulder to see how close the Snark Queen was, she didn't see that she was approaching a fallen overhead power line and a downed wooden utility pole. Her feet got tangled up with the downed cable, causing her to trip and fall into the pole. Her left knee crashed against the wooden pole, eliciting a cry of pain from the youngest heroine.

Katie looked up at the sound of Maraud's triumphant roar. The Snark Queen stood a mere three paces from her, arm readied for a strike to end Katie's life. Katie heard her siblings' frantic screams, but they sounded as if they were miles away. Julie dropped Alex and ran at full speed to save her sister, but even she wouldn't make it in time.

Maraud grinned wickedly as she savored the look of terror on her victim's face. Her revenge was at hand, no one could stop her now! She thrust her claws forward, intending to bury them deep within Katie's chest.

"_GET AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!_" Suddenly, all murderous intent and rage were replaced with a new sensation: pain. Maraud shrieked, dropping to her knees and holding her head as unimaginable pain coursed through her body and mind. Someone was launching a vicious telepathic attack on her; it seemed as if they were trying to rip her mind apart. She stood up, still in great pain, and began swinging her claws through the air, as if trying to cut down an invisible attacker. After only a few seconds of thrashing, she fell to the ground twitching and shivering as the pain coursed through her.

Julie had no idea what was going on, but she wasn't one to stop and ask questions when an opportunity such as this presented itself. She grabbed Katie, who was still staring in shock at the convulsing Snark, and pulled her behind a warehouse and out of sight. Alex, who was being tended to by a near frantic Jack, looked up at his sisters in confusion. "Not that I'm complaining at the timing, but what brought on this mental breakdown?"

The girls opened their mouths to answer, but were cut off. "That was me." The Pack spun around and gaped in shock.

Franklin was standing before them wearing a uniform similar to theirs. The honorary Pack member smiled nervously as he watched them trying to come to grips with what they were seeing, he could almost see the gears turning at full speed in their heads. He struggled to hold in his laughter as their mouths opened and closed, as if they were trying to find the words to describe their disbelief. _I think I broke them!_

**Scene Change – Queen Maraud**

Meanwhile, Queen Maraud was starting to move of her own will. She groaned as she lifted herself up so that she was kneeling down and tried to catch her breath. Right now she wasn't sure who she hated more, the Power children or whoever was helping them. One thing was for sure, they couldn't run and hide from her forever, and when she caught them, there would be no mercy.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a discarded blaster from one of her fallen children. She began crawling towards it, ignoring her protesting muscles as she dragged herself along the pavement. She might not be able to prolong their suffering, but at least she'd avenge her children and honor. _As long as I see those filthy humans dead!_

**Scene Change – Power Pack and Franklin**

"What the heck are you doing here?" Alex hissed. "You're supposed to be with _Friday_!"

"When I put the limiter back on I couldn't talk to you telepathically so I came here to help!" Franklin explained, not bothering to hide his annoyance at Alex's accusing tone. "You could at least say thanks, sheesh!"

"All right, calm down both of you!" Julie cut in. "Zero-G, he's got a good point, without him I wouldn't have been able to grab Katie before Maraud got to her. Franklin, thank you for coming, but you have to understand why we're frustrated. You're really not ready to be fighting yet."

"Well I'm not exactly helping out if I can't tell you guys my visions!"

"Fine, fine." Alex said, resigned. _He's stubborn_, Alex thought. _But at least it's for the right reasons._ "I'm sorry I snapped at you, we're just having a heck of a time trying to deal with her. Moving along, what do you have for us?"

Franklin sighed and calmed himself down before replying. "I haven't looked ahead at all, mainly because I don't want to tire myself out with her so close around. The most info I can give you right now would be the plans I was thinking up on the way over."

"Plans?" Jack repeated. "Look, I'm not trying to be a downer, but you don't exactly have much experience fighting here. How exactly could you come up with one working battle plan, let alone two?"

"Ever heard of the K.I.S.S. rule?"

"Eeew!" Katie gagged. "You want to _kiss_ the lizard Queen? Maybe Mass Master's onto something here." Her teasing smirk took away the sting from her last remark.

"No, but now I wonder just how many times you've been dropped on your head, Katie." He teased back, before gulping at the wicked grin that crossed her face momentarily. He knew he'd be paying for that remark later.

"Call me Energizer." She replied with a look of utmost seriousness on her face.

"What?"

"You're supposed to call us by our codenames," Alex clarified. "I'm Zero-G, Julie's Lightspeed, Jack's Mass Master, and Katie's Energizer. See?"

"… How on Earth was I supposed to know that if you didn't tell me before?" Franklin deadpanned. "Back to what I was saying, the K.I.S.S. rule: Keep it simple, stupid. Meaning, if we keep the plan simple we won't look stupid."

"Nice reference, but how about you let us in on the plan first?" Alex pressed.

"Well, my first plan was to take off my limiter again and let it all run wild, so to speak."

"Let's not do that." Julie said, noticeably paler after hearing his first plan. In fact, the rest of the siblings had looks of absolute terror on their faces. "Last time we nearly ended up trying out for a sky diving team."

"Heh, I had a feeling you'd say that," Franklin said sheepishly. "My second idea was to lure the Queen over to the docks and have Katie blast he to kingdom come."

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this," Alex began. "But we're gonna need someone to play bait, it can't be Julie because she moves to fast for Maraud to follow, so who was the lucky contestant in your plan?"

"Me."

"What?!" The other members of the group hissed in unison.

"Think about it, if I mess with her with my powers a bit, I can get her to follow me over to the docks. Then you guys can set her up for Katie to charge up and hit her. It'll be easy."

"No," Alex said firmly. "I can accept that you want to help, but I'm putting my foot down here! There is no way I'm letting you do this!"

"But –"

"NO! You don't have enough control of your powers to use them in a risky situation like this!"

"I trained with Captain America a bit!" Franklin protested, trying to make Alex see it his way.

"Captain America wasn't trying to maim or kill you, Frankie!" Katie said, folding her arms across her chest. The look she was giving him left no question of her opinion, she wasn't happy with him volunteering to be live bait.

"Exactly!" Jack added, taking up the argument. "If anything it should be me or Alex! We started this thing with the Snarks so we should be the ones to finish it!" At Franklin's slight glare he added. "Hey! I'm not saying that you haven't been a big help, 'cause you have been and still can be. Just not like this!"

"They're right, Franklin," Alex said, looking sternly at the smaller boy. "It's a great plan, but there's got to be another way to beat her, can't you come up with something else?"

Franklin's temper flared, he'd gone over a few other plans on the way over, and, according to his visions, they all ended with at _least_ one of their number dead or seriously injured. There wasn't another option available short of calling in the Avengers or the Fantastic Four, and there was no way that he was explaining this to his parents, let alone the Avengers that knew him.

"There isn't an different way! I checked, believe me, I know! It's one or the other! Plan A or Plan B, Alex!" Franklin snapped, ignoring the codename protocol and glaring at the older boy. "Unless you've got a better idea?"

"Are you nuts?" Julie shouted, before remembering that Maraud was still lurking about. She lowered her voice a bit and continued. "You're gonna leave yourself wide open to be shot!"

"That's why it's your job to get her before she gets me!" He countered. "This isn't rocket science. I lure, you distract, Katie blasts, we all go home happy."

The Power siblings exchanged looks, each trying to come up with something to dissuade their new ally from risking life and limb for something they felt they should've taken care of when it all started. When it became apparent that none had any alternative, Alex sighed in resignation and consented.

"All right, you've got us this far tonight so I guess we'll go with your plan. Give us the full run-down."

Franklin grinned wickedly, looking every bit the sly little boy he really was. "Here's how we'll do it: Katie, I need you to grab that power line you tripped over…"

**Scene Change – Queen Maraud **

Queen Maraud's patience was wearing thin. She'd heard Julie shout at Franklin earlier and had headed in that direction, hoping to deal out her vengeance quickly, only to find the area vacated. She continued to search the surrounding area for another five minutes, but found no sign of the human children. This made no sense to her, she could still smell their scent, it was hard to forget the smell of a human monkey mixed with Kymellian, but now there was something new. This scent was that of a normal human, one who never interacted with the Kymellian sorcerer.

Suddenly, the voice from earlier spoke to her again. "_What are you looking for?_" The voice sounded young, but the taunting effect was still there.

Maraud snarled as she looked around, trying to find whoever was messing with her head. "Where are you?" She roared. "Show yourself!"

"_Why would I do that?_" The voice responded with false innocence. "_You sound mad, did I do something wrong?_" The last few words were followed by childlike laughter, the voice was playing with her.

"Insolent pest! I'll blast you into a thousand pieces!"

"_If you're gonna do that, it's not exactly a good idea for me to show myself._" Came the smart aleck response. "_At least, not without some challenge._"

"I am not interested in playing your ridiculous games!" She shouted, her face turning a dark purple color as her fury became more evident. "I'll destroy you and your pathetic friends!"

"_Well you're not gonna find me going that way…. I'm behind you!_"

Maraud spun around and took aim with her blaster to find… no one. She gritted her teeth in frustration as the mocking laughter returned, this time increasing in volume.

"_I guess I'm not there! Go left and you'll find me!_"

She snorted at this and started walking to the right, towards the public road. She wasn't stupid, the voice was obviously trying to lure her into some sort of trap. She'd just walk to the right and then circle behind and catch this smug little –

**CRASH****!**

Maraud was forced to dive for cover as a forklift was dropped just a few feet in front of her. She panted for breath and tried to get her heart rate back down to normal, but the fright from nearly being crushed was too much for the crazed Queen.

"_I said left!_" The voice said, sounding more stern and angry. "_This is my game, so it's my rules! And my rules say go where I tell you or get crushed! Now go LEFT!_"

The now frightened Snark quickly backed up and scrambled to follow the manipulative voice's orders, she headed back towards the docks as quickly as she could.

"_That's a good ugly lizard thing!_" Maraud growled, the damn voice was back to mocking her. "_Hey! Don't be so angry! I've got some of your friends that want to talk to you!_" At this she stopped. Did whoever, or whatever, this voice was have her children? The ones from the raid here were all dead from the fall from earlier, so that would leave the ones on the ship!

"_Well, well, well,_" No, this wasn't one of her babies. This was that annoying brat in the blue suit! The form-shifting Mass Master! "_What do we have here, gang?_"

"_Don't be rude, Mass Master,_" Came Lightspeed's voice. "_How could you forget our old friend Queen… something or other… what's her name again?_"

This time Zero-G answered in his usual sarcastic tone, which never failed to infuriate the Snark Queen. "_Wasn't it Scale Face?_"

"_No, Zero-G, it's Sewer Breath!_" Energizer cheered.

"_Don't be stupid, Energizer, it's obviously Lizard Hag!_"

"_Knock it off, Mass Master, this is serious! We're facing the Queen of Slime!_"

"_I'm sure you meant Empress Snaggletooth, dear sister._"

"_I think it's Princess Putrid!_"

"_Nah, it's definitely Mistress Failure!_"

"_She could be the Imperial Queen of the Incompetent._"

"_No, that's too much of a mouthful. How about Madam Drop the Ball?._"

"_Nice! But I'm more in favor of Lady Lackluster._"

"_If she didn't have legs, she'd be the Sleazy Slug Queen._"

"_Or the Worthless Worm Woman_."

"_Wait… How do we know she's a woman?_"

By now, Queen Maraud had dropped her blaster and was holding her head, trying to block out the mocking voices of her most hated enemies, but to no avail. The voices were now taunting her in unison, their insults ranged from attacking her personal hygiene to noting that only she could spawn a race of ugly and unintelligent excuses for lizards. In her flustered state, she didn't notice that she was now standing close to the waters of Newark Bay. Suddenly, a voice from the outside broke through the fog.

"Hi!"

Maraud turned quickly, nearly losing her balance, and saw Franklin standing a mere ten paces in front of her. His arms were crossed behind his back and his face was a mask of childlike innocence.

Franklin smiled and cocked his head to the side. "I'm Bobby," He lied. "Wanna play with me?"

Maraud's eyes widened in shock as she connected the dots. This human child had the same voice she was hearing in her head. Her look of shock quickly changed to one of fury. The Snark's body shook with pent up rage as she readied herself to rip this brat limb from limb.

Franklin simply smiled back at her. Tricking her into coming to the docks had been all too easy. He knew she'd lose her focus if she heard the Power kids making fun of her, so he used that to his advantage. All he had to do was think of how they spoke and then make the insults up as he went. The only reason he wasn't laughing outright at her was that he knew how dangerous she really was.

_Come on,_ he thought. _Take the bait and attack me! You know you want to._

The Snark Queen let out a roar of absolute fury and charged forward. The Power kids were the last thing on her mind at this point, all that mattered was reducing this brat to a bloody smear on the ground! Her one track mind would be her downfall.

"NOW!" Franklin yelled.

Suddenly, Maraud was floored by a blindside attack by Julie. The red head grabbed Franklin and ran as fast as she could, not bothering to look at her handiwork.

Maraud struggled back to her feet, her equilibrium was thrown off from the hit to the back of her head. At this point, Jack made his presence known by descending on her while in cloud form. He quickly enveloped the struggling monarch, giving Julie ample time to escape and Alex enough time to set up for his part.

"You're up, Zero-G!" He shouted.

"Thanks!" Alex replied as he activated his powers. "Going up!" He negated Maraud's gravity and lifted her high into the air, cutting off any possibility for escape. No amount of struggling could save her now. "Energizer, give the Lady a proper send off!"

Maraud stopped struggling for a moment, confused at what he meant. Her eyes widened in horror when she noticed Katie standing on top of a warehouse with a fully charged energy bolt.

Katie grinned. She always loved this part. "Oh, Zero, you know I _always_ bring fireworks for special stuff like this." As she finished, she fired the energy bolt at Maraud. It impacted directly in the center of her chest and blasted her into the middle of Newark Bay. She would never resurface.

"We did it!" Katie cheered. "She's finally gone!"

"No kidding!" Jack said. "I think you blasted her into another dimension sis!"

"HA! I told you it would work!" Franklin said as he walked up with Julie behind him. "Never doubt my plans… even if they are crazy sometimes." He crossed his arms and smirked as he finished.

Julie grinned and swooped down on the boasting child, picking him up and enveloping him in a playful hug. "Oh yes," She teased. "If not for our dear, humble Franklin we would never have beaten our fearsome enemy!"

"Let me down!" He cried, flailing his arms and legs. He couldn't help but laugh as her long hair tickled his nose and the back of his neck. "Put me down! Your hair tickles!" As she gave in to his please, Julie winked at Katie, which went unnoticed by Franklin. He might be safe now, but he'd get his later.

Alex tried to look serious, but the grin that threatened to split his face ruined it for him. "Leave teasing little Frankie for later," He commented, earning a slight glare from said boy. "In all seriousness, great job, squirt! You've certainly earned your spot today."

"R-Really?" Franklin stuttered, his voice wavering from excitement.

"Heck yeah!" Jack yelled as he grabbed the smaller boy in a headlock. "That plan was awesome, man! You're one of us now! But you do know what this means, right?"

"Huh?"

"You need a codename!" Katie said excitedly.

"I do?"

"Well, we can't call you Franklin," Julie said. "Then everyone, including your parents would find out."

"Good point," He admitted. "So, do I –"

"How 'bout we call you Psy-Squirt?" Jack asked jokingly.

Franklin's eyes glowed with psychic power, showing his displeasure. "How about I call you dead?" He growled.

"I vote for Tattletale!" Katie said, her wicked grin from earlier back in place.

"What? Why Tattletale?"

"Well, you see the future and tell us what the bad guys are gonna do, just like a tattletale in school!"

"Nuh-uh! No way! That is not –"

"All in favor of Tattletale say 'Aye'!" Alex interrupted.

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"Aye!"

"All opposed say 'Nay'!"

"Nay!"

"Sorry, Frankie, the ayes have it. From now on, you're Tattletale." Alex said with an air of finality.

"Wait a minute! I'm pretty sure I get to pick my own name!" Franklin cried indignantly.

"Nope," Julie said. "Not when you're the newbie!"

"Oh come on!"

"I hate to break off, but shouldn't we leave before the police show up?" Jack asked, ignoring Franklin's protests.

"Good point," Alex said, slightly embarrassed that he didn't realize this earlier. "We'll head to our house."

"Hang on! What about me?" Franklin asked. "My mom's gonna be mad that I was out this late!"

"Don't worry about that, I've got an idea."

**Scene Change – Power Family House, New York City, New York**

"… Ok… Got it! Thanks Mrs. Richards!" Julie said as she hung up the phone. Franklin and Katie sat in her room with her, awaiting the reaction of Susan Richards. Julie turned to address Franklin. "I told her that we just lost track of time and that my parents said you could spend the night here. She seemed ok since you were with friends."

"Good," He replied, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. "At least I won't have to make up a story on my own."

"Well, you're not really making it up," Katie said from her spot on the floor. "You were with us all night and we weren't really paying attention to the time, so it's kind of the truth."

"Yeah, but she always knows when I'm keeping something from her, even if it's something really small." He replied, rubbing his arm nervously. He was safe for now, but if his mom asked when he got home tomorrow he would be in a lot of trouble.

The girls noticed Franklin's change in emotions and nodded to one another, it was time to cheer up the sulking boy, and what better way to do that than resume their teasing from earlier?

"So, what was that about me being dropped on my head, Frankie?" Katie said, smiling sweetly.

Franklin paled, the last time she smiled like that, she was threatening to _insist_ that he go with her to meet her siblings. _And that was before I knew she could blast people!_ He gulped and started backing away from the slowly advancing girl, though he didn't notice that Julie had already snuck behind him.

"Uh… c'mon, Katie, it was a joke! We were kidding around, remember?" He then came in contact with something solid, something taller than him. He looked up to see Julie standing over him wearing a wicked grin of her own.

"Where do you think you're going, hero boy?" She teased as she enveloped him in another hug. He flailed around in vain, trying to escape the older girl's embrace. "Get him, Katie!"

Katie advanced on her trapped friend, grinning and waggling her fingers threateningly. "Let's hear that laugh of yours again, Frankie!" She cried as she began administering the dreaded tickle torture.

"W-wait! No, not again! No! AHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

**Chapter End**

**There you have it! Franklin, A.K.A. Tattletale, is now an official member of the Power Pack. Fan girls, please note that he is only five and is, therefore, too young for you at the moment! Sorry, I just couldn't resist that one.**

**Review and let me know what you thought!**


	9. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Harry Potter **_**series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**Ok, time to move forward again! As always, thanks for the reviews to those who took the time to give their input. It seems that last chapter was, for the most part, well received.**

**This chapter should be a pretty good one as well. You can probably guess that I had a lot of fun writing the first part! A couple people felt that Franklin might be a little too shy and I responded by saying that the Powers would try to bring him out of his shell. Well, here's how!**

**Today, a new term is going to be introduced from the Marvel comics! Here it is, along with it's background information:**

"**Mutie" – A derogatory term used to say that someone is a mutant. This term is used in the Marvel comic series (most notably the X-Men, Spiderman, or Fantastic Four comics). It is considered highly offensive to mutants and even some regular humans, this is often the source for conflict between the two groups. It is essentially the non-magical equivalent of calling someone a "Mudblood".**

**Chapter 7: The Splash Heard 'Round the World!**

**Upper Manhattan, New York City, New York**

When we last left our heroes, they'd just finished defeating Queen Maraud and her Snarks. After being brought to his new friends' home, and after being tickled mercilessly by Katie and Julie, Franklin had asked exactly how the Powers had gained their… well… powers.

After listening to the tale, Franklin noticed that they left off saying that they lived in Hudson Valley and that their parents still had no memory of them. When he asked how they got their parents' memories back and why they moved to Upper Manhattan after just arriving in the Valley, Alex happily provided the explanation.

Apparently, the Snarks weren't the only ones with the brain probing technology, _Friday_ had its own version of the machine onboard, but this version was used to heal the trauma caused by having memories forcibly ripped from one's brain. So, with one quick procedure and a good night's sleep, the Power parents were back to normal.

As far as why they moved to Upper Manhattan, that was a very bittersweet memory. While the scientists and security guards at the lab were grateful that they had been saved, even if it had been by a bunch of super powered kids, Mr. Carmody was not.

**Flashback**

Two days after the Annihilator Incident, as Jack dubbed it, Dr. Power decided it would be a fun idea to give his kids a tour of the lab, a little "bring your kids to work day" to show them how important his work was and that he was trying to make the world they lived in a better place. When they arrived at the lab, they weren't expecting such a hostile reception from Mr. Carmody.

"POWER!" He shouted. "Where the Hell were you last Friday? A bunch of aliens and mutant freak shows destroyed my Annihilator!"

"Calm down, sir," Evans, the Head of Security, said before turning to face Dr. Power. "Ignore him for the moment, he tried testing the Annihilator while you were out and it started a chain reaction."

"W-What?" Dr. Power sputtered. "But an anti-matter chain reaction would've at least destroyed a continent! Maybe even the entire planet!"

_You don't even know the half of it._ The four Power kids thought simultaneously.

"I was getting to that, sir. A group of four, young kids, each with super powers, showed up and informed us that a group of aliens were planning to steal the Annihilator and use it as an intergalactic weapon of mass destruction. At first we didn't believe them, but then the aliens actually landed and started fighting us to try to get to the machine. The kids ran inside, knocked out Mr. Carmody, and somehow lifted the Annihilator into orbit and blew it up."

"Ah… well that does explain why we're not atomized I suppose…"

"All it explains to me is that a bunch of mutie freaks like those brats are a menace to society!" Carmody raged. None of the adults noticed that the kids winced when he labeled them "mutie freaks". "They should all be locked up! They destroyed the Annihilator! I was going to be rich from the results of the experiment and they –"

Suddenly, he stopped as his eyes fell on Jack. His faced reddened with fury when he noticed that Jack looked similar to the kid that knocked him out before the Annihilator was destroyed. Heck, put him in a blue and black spandex suit and he looked _exactly_ like the kid. This realization caused Carmody to go even further into a blind rage.

"YOU! YOU'RE THE LITTLE FREAKS THAT ATTACKED ME AND DESTROYED MY ANNIHILATOR!" He roared, gesturing wildly at Jack and his siblings. "I SHOULD HAVE YOU ALL LOCKED UP AND DISCECTED TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES LITTLE FREAK SHOWS LIKE YOU TICK!"

"Mr. Carmody," Dr. Power cut in angrily. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped threatening my kids. They had nothing to do with anything that went on –"

"SHUT UP, POWER! YOU WORK FOR ME!" Carmody yelled back. He then lunged forward, grabbed Jack and started shaking him violently. "LITTLE FREAKS LIKE THIS DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO LIVE! THEY SHOULD ALL BE –"

**CRACK!**

Suddenly, Carmody was on the floor nursing a broken jaw, and standing over him was Dr. Power.

"Never lay your filthy hands on one of my children again, you pompous son of a bitch!" He growled as he visibly shook with rage. "Consider this my official resignation, and I'll see you in court for threatening my son!" Dr. Power turned and grabbed Jack and Katie's hands, leading them back to the parking lot toward their car. "Come on kids, lets get out of here and get lunch."

Carmody glared at the scientists back. He stood up to continue venting his fury when a firm hand grabbed his shoulder. He looked behind him only to find Evans glaring hatefully at him.

"Let's take a little ride to the police station, Mr. Carmody." He hissed. "I'm sure they'd _love_ to hear this little story!"

**Flashback End**

Needless to say, the courts ruled in favor of the Power family and Carmody ended up in jail. While there was a big scare that mutants might be present, no one had any sympathy for someone who threatened children. To make matters worse, his arrival in prison was met with a large group of furious convicts. The reason: rapists and child abusers are seen as the lowest form of life in a prison, their stay was often short and unpleasant, especially in the New York area.

But that's enough negativity! It's time to get back to the present.

This was a beautiful Friday morning at the Power family's home! The sun was shining, the birds were singing, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and…

**SPLASH!**

"AIIIIIIIIIE! I'M GONNA KILL YOU FRANKIE!"

… And Franklin was running for his life after waking Katie up with a bucket of cold water, his retaliation for the tickle torture from the night before. He might have had a good three seconds head start, but Katie was faster and had a lot more endurance than him, fighting criminals tends to do that.

"HAHA! Maybe next time you'll think twice before you tickle me!" Franklin taunted as he turned a corner and raced for the kitchen. He knew he was done for if he didn't hide or if someone didn't stop Katie, and hiding wasn't much of an option right now since she was right behind him. He took a quick look over his shoulder and saw her bearing down on him, eyes alight with unadulterated fury. _Note to self: A prank wake-up call on Katie is THE single worst idea in the long, sad history of bad ideas… Who am I kidding? It was definitely worth it!_

"YOU'LL BE BEGGING ME TO TICKLE YOU BY THE TIME I'M DONE WITH YOU!" Katie raged as she closed in on her friend. There was a small (incredibly small) part of her that was happy that Franklin was starting to open up and have fun around her, but he still had to learn that there would be consequences when he messed with her. _When I get ahold of him I'm gonna knock him out, have Julie help me dress him in a sundress, take a picture, make copies, and blackmail him with it until the day he dies!_ She thought, putting on an extra burst of speed. The gap between the two was closing fast.

As the youngest Pack members raced through the house, Julie, Alex, and Jack were literally falling over laughing. They hadn't expected shy, innocent, little Franklin to get into pranking so fast, and they never expected that he'd get Katie back for tickling him so soon. Then again, they hadn't met "Unca' Johnny" yet so they had no idea that they were dealing with a prank master in the making.

"Man," Alex said, wiping a tear from his eye as Katie ran, shouting threats at the top of her voice, after the younger boy. "As much as it warms my heart to see Frankie messing with our dear little sister, I never thought he'd actually pull it off so soon."

Julie rolled her eyes and tried to hide a smile. "Oh please," she began. "He may have pranked her, but this has your name all over it! Yours too, Jack!"

"We didn't do anything!" Jack protested.

"Oh yeah right, like I'll really believe –"

"He's not lying," Alex said, still smirking as he watched Franklin dive behind the table to put something between him and Katie. "Frankie woke me up and just asked for a bucket, I thought he might be getting sick so I went and got it for him. Next thing I know, I'm watching him fill it with water and take it to Katie's room."

"And you didn't stop him when you realized what he was doing because?"

"I knew it would be funny."

"… I should've known." Julie sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "You know she's going to get you back for not stopping him."

"Oh don't even _try_ to give me that!" Alex said. "You were laughing just as much as we were! You're just trying to look like you're on Katie's side so she doesn't get you back for laughing!"

"… I have no idea what you're talking about…" Julie mumbled, embarrassed at being caught by her brothers.

As Franklin ran around the table, still trying to keep as much distance between Katie and him, he looked out for Mr. or Mrs. Power. He knew he just needed to stay out of Katie's reach long enough for one of the adults to come to find the source of the noise. He faked right, causing Katie to flinch and move to cut him off, and ran left towards the dining room, only to run headfirst into something solid. He looked up in confusion and found that he'd run into Margaret Power. _Oh, well speak of the savior!_

"Would you two mind explaining why you're running around and making so much noise _inside_ the house?" She asked, her stern tone left no question that she wasn't happy.

Franklin couldn't help but be a bit nervous, he may have planned for one of the parents to come, albeit unintentionally, to his aide, but he still felt bad about upsetting them while he was a guest in their home. "Uh… well… you see…" He stammered.

"Franklin woke me up with a prank!" Katie cried pitifully, trying to win her mother over to her side. One might call whining to a parent in a prank war cheating, but Katie was in to win. Besides, Franklin knew she wasn't really trying to be mean so it was fair.

Margaret Power turned to Franklin, missing her daughter's smirk at his misfortune. She wasn't angry, but she couldn't let the kids run around the house like this without some consequence. "Is this true, Franklin?" _Hmmm, I wonder what he did to get Katie to yell so loudly at him._

"Yes, ma'am," He said, scowling as Katie stuck her tongue out at him from behind her mother's back. Suddenly, he had an idea! "But Katie started it last night! She tickled me even though she knows I don't like it!"

"What you did was at least ten times meaner and you know it!" Katie yelled back.

"Katherine Margaret Power! Lower your voice!" Margaret said. "What exactly did he do that was 'ten times meaner'?"

"He dumped a bucket of water on me! And it was freezing!" She wailed, holding her arms and shivering for effect. _Ha! Game, set, and match! Sorry, Frankie, but you're gonna learn why you don't get in a prank war with me! You'll be wearing that sun dress soon enough if I have my way!_ Yes, revenge would be sweet.

Margaret had to take a moment to hold in her laughter. She could understand Katie's outrage at the wake-up call and could see through her little façade, but this was just too funny! It seems that the shy little boy she brought home turned out to be a prankster as well, and a gutsy one too! Not even Jack was brave enough to make a prank wake up call for his little sister.

"Well," she began, her voice strained with barely contained amusement. "It seems that this was mostly in good fun, but from now on no running around my house like it's a playground, you two. Now, Katie, go get a warm shower and get dressed for school or you'll be late!"

"What?" Katie said in shock. "But mommy!"

"No 'buts' young lady! You're just as guilty as he is for starting this, it would be unfair of me to punish him and not you! Now, march!"

Katie huffed and stomped off to the bathroom, shooting a glare at her laughing siblings as she passed. They were in for it later.

Margaret shook her head in amusement at her youngest child's antics before turning to the rest of the kids. "I'm afraid I have an errand to run so I won't be able to make you all breakfast. Alex, could you please make a couple bowls of cereal for Frankie and Katie?"

"Sure, mom!" He said, still snickering at the morning comedy show. "C'mon, prank boy, let's see if we can find something you like."

Margaret nodded appreciatively and walked back to her room as quickly as possible. It just wouldn't do for her kids to see her burst out laughing at a prank on her youngest.

Katie joined the rest of the kids a few minutes later, she thanked Alex for her breakfast and sat down directly across from Franklin. For a moment, the two just stared each other down, each one silently daring the other to speak first.

Katie broke the silence. "I suppose I'll give you the win for this round, but this isn't over by a long shot! You won't know where, you won't know when, but I'll get you for this, Frankie!" She playfully threatened, smirking evilly at him.

To his credit, Franklin didn't back down at the sight of her smirk this time. "The first tickle torture at school was for free 'cause we just started being friends," He said, smiling widely. "But you started it last night! If it's a prank war you want, it's a prank war you'll get, _little_ _girl_!"

Jack, Julie, and Alex couldn't help but wince when Katie's eyes narrowed at Frankin's mocking tone. She'd thrown down the challenge and he'd returned it without fear. Something told them that this war would last a long time, and they wouldn't escape the crossfire!

**Scene Change – The Burrow**

Two seven year old red-headed twins stopped planning their latest prank as a new feeling surged through them.

"Fred," One began. "Did you feel that?"

"Indeed I did, George," Fred replied. "There has been a disturbance in the pranking force! Two young kids have declared a prank war on one another!"

"Yes, and in the spirit of fun! Normally, kids prank each other as a form of bullying, but they're doing this as friends!"

"It's so gratifying to see two youths coming together in the bonds of friendship to share in the joys of the noble art of pranking as we did, isn't it dear brother?"

"Oh, yes! We must celebrate this joyous occasion… with a week long pranking extravaganza!"

"Quite right you are! I believe mother said the Potters, Black, and Lupin were coming over tomorrow."

"Oooooh, you're evil! Devious! Downright nasty!" George cried accusingly. "I love it!"

Arthur Weasley shuddered as he heard the maniacal laughter coming from his twin sons' room. He could already hear his wife screaming at them…

**Scene Change – Upper Manhattan, New York City, New York**

"Come on, Frankie, we're gonna be late!" Katie yelled as the group ran toward the front entrance to their school.

"Hang on! My shoe came untied and – WHOA!" Franklin cried as he tripped over his shoe lace and bumped into someone. He looked up sheepishly at the person he ran into. "Uh… sorry about that, sir."

"Oh, that's quite alright, my dear boy," The elderly old man replied in an English accent, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "It is quite understandable that you were in a hurry, you don't want to be late for school now do you?"

Franklin took a moment to survey this… strange old man. He was tall (compared to Franklin, pretty much anyone was tall) and dressed in a rather expensive looking black suit. His eyes showed an amused, fun loving light but also seemed to hold years of knowledge and experience behind them. But what caught Franklin's attention the most was his impressively long beard. _This guy could probably cosplay as Merlin and pull it off!_ Franklin thought in amazement.

He shook himself from his thoughts and replied. "Oh yeah! I'm really sorry I ran into you, though."

"Don't worry, this old body of mine has taken far worse and I'm still standing," The old man said. "But thank you for your concern, my boy. You'd best run along before you and your friend get into trouble."

"Okay! Bye!" Franklin called back as he ran towards the Power siblings.

"Farewell!" The man waved as he continued on his way.

"Who was that, Frankie?" Julie asked as the younger boy as he came nearer.

"I'm not really sure," Franklin said. "But I feel like I knew him before."

"Did he fight against your parents?" Alex asked, he was concerned that this might be a kidnapping attempt courtesy of Dr. Doom.

"No, he's not one of them. I just feel like he was a major part of my life at some point…"

Meanwhile, the elderly man walked into a candy shop with a large grin on his face. The young boy he'd run into had certainly grown up well since the last time he'd seen him. _He's grown up well and happy_, he thought. _Thank Heaven for that!_

He strode confidently toward the counter and waited patiently for the girl at the cash register to address him.

"Welcome to Marvel Candies!" The cashier said cheerfully. "How can I help you today, sir?"

"I'd like to purchase a jar of Lemon Drops, if you have them."

"Yes sir, we do!" She replied, bringing out a jar from behind the counter as she spoke. "That'll be $10.95 for the jar, sir."

"Do you accept credit cards, dear?" He said, pulling his wallet out from his suit pocket.

"Yes sir!"

"Oh, good! Here you are!" He said as he handed the card over.

She slid the card through the machine and waited for it to accept the transaction. When it finished she handed the card back to him and addressed him by the name she read off the card. "Thank you very much, Mr. Dumbledore! Have a nice day!"

"Thank you, my dear," Albus replied merrily. "You have a wonderful day, as well!"

**Chapter End**

**How's that for a cameo by our favorite twins and the big man himself! I hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I did writing it. **

**Review and let me know what you think! **


	10. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the **_**Harry Potter**_** series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**Hey, all! It's been a while since I've updated, but with school starting and the first week of college hockey practices, I've been a little busy. That being said, I didn't forget about you. **

**Well a lot of people have chimed in on the last couple of chapters and seem to like it, thanks for your support. A couple had some critiques or suggestions, as always this is welcome.**

**In response to one review, which asked: "Are Fred and George Lords of the Prank Force?" I have to ask (in turn), am I the only one who now has a rather amusing visual of a possible tag-team light sabre duel? With that being said (ahem): The following contest is schedule for one fall, and is for the tag-team pranking championship! Representing the Magical World: Gred and Feorge! Representing the Power Pack: Energizer and Tattletale! Llllllllllllllet's get ready to rumblllllllllllle! (I just couldn't resist!)**

**I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! Enjoy!**

"_Telepathic speech_"

"Computer or robot speech"

**Chapter 8: Four Years Later… **

**New Baxter Building, New York City, New York**

The spray of hot water from the showerhead jolted Franklin's senses and roused him from his semi-sleeping state. He sighed in contently as he let the warm water soothe his aching muscles. Who knew being a child hero could be so rough on the body?

As he shampooed his hair, Franklin reflected on the past four years. The Power Pack had grown in name around the suburbs of New York as they dealt mostly with small time criminals such as bank robbers, muggers, rapists and the like. Heck, they had even gained some recognition from more established heroes during their brief team-ups with the likes of Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Wolverine.

While it seemed "so totally awesome" to Jack when they teamed up with the feral Canadian, the other Pack members weren't exactly thrilled with having to fight Sabertooth in the creepiest part of the woods on Halloween night. Wolverine had actually been so impressed that he offered to put a word in to Professor Xavier so they could attend his school "for the gifted".

They'd turned down his offer because they wanted to stay with their families, but thanked him for his consideration. Alex nearly pummeled Jack when he tried to give Wolverine a business card "so he could call them next time he needed their help". Katie was so annoyed she blasted Jack, only to blush in embarrassment when Wolverine and Franklin started rolling on the ground laughing at the loud-mouthed boy's misfortune.

Sure, the honor of serving the city with his friends and the glory of standing side by side with three of Earth's greatest heroes was great, but it all paled in comparison to one thing in Franklin's life.

_Valeria_. Franklin grinned at the thought of his four-year-old sister. Even he admitted that she was the most adorable looking girl, she'd inherited her mothers platinum blond hair and near flawless skin, but had also shown intelligence stemming from her father. It actually frightened her kindergarten teachers when she had a full intellectual debate with them on why they were incorrect in teaching children about a stork, of all things, bringing babies to families. _That's one call down to the office that mom and dad will never forget!_ Franklin thought with some amusement. _I think dad was actually proud that his "sweet, baby girl" was able to outwit one of her teachers on her first day!_

His thoughts now turned to the events surrounding Valeria's birth five years ago. Franklin had been bouncing off the walls with excitement ever since his parents had announced that he had a new baby sister on the way, this excitement always made for some great entertainment for Katie whenever he lost control of his powers and accidentally warped reality in whatever room he was in. She still teased him about the time he turned the walls in his new room pink and had to deal with the color for a week until his parents could get around to painting over it. To this day, Franklin instinctively shuddered whenever he saw the slightest hint of his now most hated color.

After Valeria's birth, Franklin's joyous attitude and aura of constant excitement was derailed by the even he feared most: the Avengers and his family discovered his secret identity.

Though Franklin was only five, he knew that he couldn't hide his secret forever; he'd just hoped it would've been a little longer before everyone found out. Also, it didn't help that Spider-Man was the one to drag him back to the Avengers' Mansion (hog tied, by our favorite web-slinger) after the psychic boy and his cohorts tried fighting Venom, of all people, in broad daylight in downtown New York. Franklin knew full well he was in for a stern lecture from everyone present, but he wasn't at all prepared for a certain part of said lecture.

**Flashback**

"FRANKLIN BENJAMIN RICHARDS!" Franklin winced at his mother's shout. Angry, would be a very polite way of describing her mood at the moment. "OF ALL THE STUPID, RECKLESS THINGS YOU COULD POSSIBLY DO, YOU FIGHT _VENOM_ IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN NEW YORK! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

Franklin took a step back from the fuming Richards matriarch and looked down at his shoes. This was just not his day. "I didn't go looking for him," He said nervously. "I bumped into some guy on the sidewalk, he recognized dad's smell on me and then transformed."

It was no secret that the alien symbiote bore a tremendous grudge against Spider-Man, but part of the story involved Reed Richards. After all, it was Reed who informed Spider-Man of its aversion to sonic waves and helped him remove it the first time around. While it is true that Venom's most frequent enemy has always been Spider-Man, it hadn't forgotten who helped wise cracking hero.

Susan's anger cooled a bit when Franklin proved, once again, that while he was a reckless little boy, he wasn't an idiot. Of course, that didn't mean that he wasn't in trouble. "Then why didn't you think to call for help? We gave you a cell phone with the mansion number on speed dial for a reason, Franklin!"

"Take it easy, Sue," Spider-Man cut in as he pulled his mask off, revealing his cocky smirk, shaggy brown hair, and blue eyes. "As a card carrying member of the 'Venom target' club, I can personally say that he's not one to wait around once he realizes that someone's got a connection to one of his enemies. Heck, I say give the squirt some props for realizing that he and his merry band needed to fight him off so they could run." _Of course, Sue doesn't need to know that he fully intended to help me beat Venom until he realized that I recognized him. The look on his face was priceless! _He mused. _And I swear part of his mutation is perfecting that kicked puppy look! If I didn't have years of experience in the game, I might've actually let him go…_

"Thank you, Peter, but you're missing the point," Reed said before turning to face his son. "Franklin, I understand that you couldn't run from Venom initially, but we can't ignore that you tried to fight him. And don't try to defend him, Peter," He said, causing the unmasked web-slinger to shut his mouth with an audible click. "If Franklin and his friends wanted to run, they'd have done it as soon as you appeared on the scene, not when you told him you were going to bring him here!" _And if you wanted to defend him with that, you should have at least tried to amend your initial story so it sounded like he was trying to run. And the fact that you tied him up and dragged him off without so much as an explanation to his friends is going to make talking to them difficult._

"I can't believe I'm agreein' with web-head over there," Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, said. "But ya gotta admit, they didn't do to bad fer kids. Heck, now I'm really hopin' they'll take the offer to go to Xavier's. They're my kinda students."

Susan's heated glare stopped Logan from adding to his statement. He might have an accelerated healing factor, but that didn't make him impervious to pain. "Logan," she growled. "I don't care what you teach the students when you're at Xavier's school, but I will not have you setting a bad example for my son!"

"What're ya talkin' about? I'm just sayin' I could teach the kid a thing or two."

"I pray thee not play innocent with us, Logan," Thor said, smirking slightly. "Thou art a valued comrade in our ongoing fight against evil, but even I say ye do have some… maverick tendencies."

"And while it's true that the little trooper had his heart in the right place, we can't have him violating direct orders," Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, said. "And, like Thor said, you don't have the best track record when it comes to listening to superior officers."

Logan crossed his arms and snorted. He knew they were right and didn't have a comeback, but he was a stubborn man. "I never said I would encourage him to go in guns blazin'!"

"Let's see," Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, said, pretending to think. "How about the time you let Frankie and his little friends help you fight a Sentinel outside Xavier's Mansion?"

"And what about the time you let them fight Sabertooth with you?" Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, drawled. She'd been silent up to this point, but she couldn't resist getting a jab in at Logan, he was just so fun to spin up.

"You don't have much room to talk tin can," Peter quipped. "You let them help fight that giant robot monstrosity of yours."

"Like you lettin' 'em fight Sandman, Shocker, and Vulture is any different, bub?"

Suddenly, the stern atmosphere in the room was replaced with the rather comical scene of Earth's mightiest heroes bickering like schoolchildren. In all the fuss, they forgot about the main subject of the entire argument: Franklin.

While most kids would take the opportunity to slip out of the room and hide out for a couple hours, Franklin was too busy gaping at his family and their colleagues. The events they'd listed off were all times when the Power Pack had, albeit unintentionally, run into some of the more major villains in the New York area. _How the heck would they know about all that… unless…_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out!" Franklin said, bringing the argument to a screeching halt. "You all knew about all that stuff?"

The outburst from the youngest mutant present caused the group to shift uncomfortably. For some reason, they now felt like a bunch of naughty children.

Finally, Peter broke the silence. "Well, yeah! I mean you guys didn't exactly make it hard for us to figure out, kiddo."

"What do you –"

"Squirt, the five of ya run around New York, without wearing masks or anything else to hide any recognizable features," Logan said. "Add in the fact that you all disappeared conveniently whenever the Power Pack showed up and it was real easy for us."

"But, if you knew the entire time, why did it take so long for you to get mad at me for it?"

"Well, that's a bit complicated," Johnny said, scratching his head nervously. "At first, your parents, Benny and I were pretty angry that you were runnin' around the Big Apple in tights and fighting crime. But we talked it over and figured that you'd have started doin' it anyways and would probably keep doin' it if we tried to stop you."

"And that's where we come in," Steve added. "Your parents told us what your group was up to and we agreed to watch out for you whenever we could. Think about it, trooper: how often have you run into one of our major adversaries without at least one Avenger present? Not including this afternoon."

"How would you know about every time we were in trouble?" Franklin asked, not wanting to admit that it did seem a bit too convenient that the Avengers seemed to always appear when needed most, even though they had important jobs as S.H.I.E.L.D. members.

"Simple, my young, psychic friend!" Thor boomed happily. "I journeyed to Asgard and implored my benevolent father, Odin, to look after ye and warn us whenever ye and thine friends came in harms way. After listening to some of thine exploits, mighty Odin swore to watch over ye and blessed ye as one of his favored mortals!"

"But what about all the other times? The new reports said –"

"That there weren't any clear images that showed your faces, nor was there any trace of DNA left at the scene," Tony interrupted, smirking slightly. "Too easy, kiddo. All I had to do was make a little donation to the N.Y.P.D. and tell the Commissioner and the Mayor to look the other way. They owe me enough favors as it is, but when I explained what I needed, they said they would've agreed anyways because of the service you all were doing for the city." His smirk turned into a full-blown grin when the boy's eyes widened comically.

"So… I'm not really in trouble?"

"Not quite, son," Reed replied, shooting down any hope of escaping punishment. "As of right now, you're grounded for two weeks."

"But you said –"

"Think of it as an us cashing in on the many times you've run off to fight someone out of your league, " Susan added. "And be thankful that the only reason that you're getting such a light punishment is that we're proud of you helping others." Her stern expression softened slightly as Franklin looked down at his shoes again, even though he fully deserved punishment for lying and hiding things from his parents, it hurt her to see him so upset. "Since I'm guessing that you'll go right back to your 'Power Pack' team when two weeks are up, I suppose you'll need some kind of help mastering your powers."

Franklin looked up in shock. "How what now?"

"What your mother is saying, is that we can't have you running around fighting crime with your limiter on, but at the same time, we can't have you running around without control of your powers," Reed answered.

"How am I supposed to control my powers in two weeks? I can barely levitate stuff for a minute without losing control."

"That's where I come in," Franklin turned at the sound of a familiar voice, Agatha Harkness stepped into the room with an air of authority. "I have enlisted the help of our mutual friends Dr. Steven Strange, he will aid me in teaching you control of your powers. Professor Charles Xavier will also help when he can spare the time, he does have an entire school of young mutants to teach, after all."

"Really?" Franklin cried in disbelief. "This is gonna be so awesome! OW!" He stopped rejoicing to rub a bump on his head, courtesy of his beloved Auntie's cane.

"Lesson one is controlling your emotions," She said sternly. "While you can show happiness, sadness, or anger, you'll have to stop wearing your heart on your sleeve, so to speak. You need to control your emotions before you can control your powers. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Auntie."

"Good boy," She continued, smiling at her student. "Now, run along to bed, you scamp! We begin lessons tomorrow!" Franklin, all too happy at the prospect of spending time with Auntie Agatha, bolted from the room. He had no desire to get into more trouble and possibly delay his training.

After a moment of awkward silence, Logan pushed himself off his spot on the wall and headed for the front door. "Well, I gotta get back to the school or I'll have Scott gettin' all pissy with me for missing another danger room session. See ya."

Logan's exit sparked a mass exodus from the room, all except Agatha, the Richards, Johnny, and Peter headed off to either their patrol areas or respective rooms. The fact that most of them just wanted to be out of the line of fire in case Susan was still angry may have had something to do with the speed each member exited.

"Ah, it's nice to see something ending on a good note for once," Peter sighed as he stretched out on the now vacant couch. "That was a bit too much tension in the room for my taste."

"What did you expect, Web-Head?" Johnny quipped. "You make one wise-crack and the entire room goes from lecture to free-for-all!"

"Oh, like you've got any room to talk!"

"That's enough, children," Agatha barked. "I may have just sent my student to bed but do not think I am incapable of teaching two immature, costume wearing buffoons a lesson."

The duo huffed in response, each refusing to admit that they had no intention of doing battle with the aged witch. She'd likely turn them both into something rather unpleasant.

Reed couldn't help but grin at the now silent pair, he was slightly jealous that Madam Harkness commanded such respect but she'd certainly earned her reputation through the ages. "Thanks again for agreeing to help Franklin, Agatha. You've no idea how much this means to us."

"Nonsense," she said, dismissing his gratitude with an airy wave of her hand. "Young Franklin is my first, and most favored, student in many years. I missed him terribly during our time apart."

"Oh, don't tell him that," Johnny said, unable to keep quiet longer than a few seconds. "If he finds out you missed him as much as he missed you, he'll hit you with one of his looks and have you eating out of his hands."

"Oh, hush, you," She replied. As much as she hated to admit it, he was absolutely right. For all her bravado as the stern, lecturing nanny, it was no secret she held a soft spot for her young charge. She turned back to Reed and Susan, with a no nonsense look on her face. "While having Dr. Strange, Professor Xavier, and myself work with young Franklin will be beneficial to him, I believe that we might be forgetting a crucial part of Franklin's education."

"What are you talking about?" Susan asked. "I thought we were pretty much covering all bases in terms of developing his powers and his control over them."

"Yes, you've planned well towards that end, but you are missing a crucial element: who are we going to set as an example for him?"

"I'm afraid you've lost me."

"Think about it for a moment, while we are showing him control and how to use his powers, we are still allowing him to run around fighting crime. We need someone to show him how to use his powers in a manner proportional to the threat level of his opponent."

"Ooooh, I think I've got what she's sayin'," Johnny said, having one of his rare sparks of brilliance. "We need someone to show lil' Frankie boy the ropes so he doesn't accidentally take someone out on his next hero gig."

Reed paused, taking a moment to consider the possibilities. "That's a great idea, the only problem is who do we get to mentor him?"

"Why not you or Sue?" Pete asked as if this should be an obvious choice.

"A couple of reasons. The first, Sue and I would have a conflict of interest as his parents, we've already shown in the past that we're a bit too… paranoid when it comes to Franklin's safety. We'd never give him a chance to go out on his own."

"Fair point. What's the other reason?"

"Well, the second reason is that we spend most of our time battling Doctor Doom and the Skrull. I'm all for my son getting some experience in the field, but I don't think bringing him into one of those fights at such a young age is a good idea."

"That, and I'd personally prefer him to stay more involved in fighting smaller threat criminals," Susan added. "Like Reed said, he's much too young to be fighting some of our enemies."

"Now that you mention it, that does kind of disqualify us," Johnny said, shaking his head. He was really hoping he could help mentor his nephew, if only so he could watch out for his safety. "If not the Fantastic Four, I'm guessing you'll have the Avengers train him?"

"Again, the same issues are raised. We need someone who has connections with the Avengers, but also fights the small time criminals," Reed said, pondering on his own words.

"It would help if that person stayed in New York while most of us were out on missions," Susan said." Someone like…. Wait a minute! Peter!" She turned to face the lounging hero.

"Excuse me?" He asked dumbly.

"Peter, you stay in New York unless the Avengers specifically need you to travel on missions and, out of all of us, you handle the lower level criminals most often!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get that. But I want you to stop and think for a moment. You want _me_, the web-swinging, wise cracking, risk taker, to teach your _five-year-old son_ how to be a hero? Heck, _I'm _not even a proper hero myself and I've been doing this gig for years!"

"What are you talking about?" Susan asked, shocked that Peter was demeaning himself in such a manner.

"I'm a freaking failure as a hero and you know it!" He snapped. "Think about how many times I've messed up balancing my life as Peter Parker and Spider-Man! Or how many times people close to me are endangered! Heck, I freaking killed my first girlfriend when I tried to save her from the Green Goblin!"

Peter's rant of self-demoralization was cut off by a punch to the face, courtesy of one severely pissed off Johnny Storm. "Shut up! Shut the Hell up, Pete!" He growled. "Of all the people we could possibly ask to look out for my nephew, you're one of the few I know I can actually trust!"

"Are you nuts? Were you even –"

"We've heard your stories, Peter," Reed cut him off, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "We've all made mistakes in the past, but out of all of us, you've taken each fall to heart and used it as fuel to motivate yourself to be a better hero. And while you have failed to balance your double life, you're one of the only people we know who hasn't revealed his identity to the world! Sticking Franklin with anyone else would raise questions as to who he is, and anyone could be able to find out just by associating them with us."

"On top of that," Susan added. "Who was it that comforted Frankie when Johnny got hurt protecting him? You. Since then, he's looked up to you just like he does the rest of us. You've all but become his big brother."

"But anyone would be a better fit than me!" Peter yelled. "What about Cap? He's certainly a good enough role model for the kid!"

"Steve's not here nearly as much as you, he can't look out for Franklin and carry out his missions for S.H.I.E.L.D."

Peter looked down, trying to think of some way to convince them that he wasn't a good mentor for their son. Sure, he loved the kid like a little brother, but that was just another reason why he didn't want Franklin taking after him. His risk taking had nearly cost him his life on more than one occasion, and he knew that a boy Franklin's age would be prone to the same mistakes he made during his first few years in costume.

But as much as he didn't want Franklin to be reckless, he knew it was probably inevitable. Even without his influence. After all, young boys have a tendency to be a bit adventurous. At the very least, he could keep an eye on the psychic squirt and pull him out of whatever trouble he could possibly, and would probably, get into.

On the bright side, teaching the little squirt and his band of miscreants could be fun! Imagine the annoyance Kingpin, Venom, Doom, and any other villain would feel when the group got old enough to fight them! They'd have the bad guys pulling their own hair out in fury from the wise cracking nature the kids would pick up in his care! The comedy practically wrote itself!

"Alright…I'll do it."

**Flashback End**

Franklin stepped out of the shower, absentmindedly grabbing a towel as he recalled the rather amusing confrontation between Spider-Man and the Power Pack. Peter had insisted that he go with Franklin to explain why he had to drag the young boy off without any elaboration to the group.

Unfortunately, Peter didn't listen to Franklin when he said that it would be better for him to explain that Peter was a friend of his parents and had dragged him off out of concern for his well being. Because of this, Peter spent the better part of an hour dodging energy blasts from a furious Energizer. It was that day that he learned a very important lesson: NEVER piss off a girl who can throw energy around like a plaything.

After drying himself, Franklin reached behind him, blindly searching for the clothes he set out. Nothing. He turned around, confused. _I could've sworn I put them right there… Valeria._ She'd probably used her powers to turn invisible and sneak into the bathroom to steal his clothes. Again.

Franklin smiled and shook his head amusedly. Last time she tried this prank, she'd been hoping to make him come down to breakfast in his boxers in order to find his clothes. Her plan was flawless except for one small detail: she forgot to take the clothes out of his dresser. While Valeria Richards was incredibly smart when it came to books, she was still a naïve four-year-old girl when it came to pranking her big brother.

He picked his discarded towel back up and wrapped it around his waste, his room might be right across the hallway, but he wouldn't put it past Uncle Johnny to be in on the prank and be waiting outside with a camera. _He'd probably send the pictures to Katie so she could blackmail me with them… She's got enough dirt on me thanks to that stupid sundress she and Julie dressed me in when I was five._

Franklin entered his room and walked straight for his dresser, already smirking at the look of shock that would no doubt grace his adorable sister's face when she realized her mistake. He opened one of the drawers to pull out his boxers… and shuddered at the sight that greeted him. Pink. Everything in the drawer was _pink_. Panicked, he pulled open another drawer only to be met with more of that detestable color. His sister hadn't messed up this time, she'd replaced every article of his clothing with… _that_ color. Well, not quite all, she did leave some of his shorts and jeans, but probably only to prevent him from having a full-blown meltdown.

Franklin shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to block out the horror contained in his dresser. _There's no way she planned this all out on her own_, he thought. _Val's smart, but when it comes to pranking she's usually pretty basic. And then there's the question of where she got enough clothing to make it so I had no choice on what color to wear. Let's see, Uncle Johnny knows better than to prank me with pink, especially after I shrunk his last car down to the size of a toy, so that rules him out. That leaves… _

"Katie." He muttered. "I should've known she'd get me back for the all Goth wardrobe I gave her last month."

He sighed, knowing there was really nothing he could do at this point other than get dressed, go to school, and plan his vengeance against his best friend and sister. He may love Valeria dearly and was actually a bit proud she pulled this one off, that didn't mean she was safe, not by a long shot. _I'm never gonna hear the end of this from Uncle Johnny and Katie._

Meanwhile in the dining room, Valeria was trying, and failing, to hide her mischievous smile and incessant giggling from her parents and uncles. She couldn't wait to see the look on their faces when "big brother Frankie" came down sporting a new look.

When Katie came to her suggesting a little fun at Frankie's expense, she'd been a little skeptical at first. Last time she tried to prank him, he'd got her back by putting a rubber spider in her blanket. She absolutely hated spiders, well, those that weren't named Peter Parker at least. However, the prospect of seeing Frankie in something other than his usual blue and white shirt with blue shorts look was all the incentive she needed, especially when she found out he'd be forced to wear pink.

At the distinctively light sound of footsteps, Valeria knew her big brother was about to make his grand entrance into the dining room. She wasn't sure which would be more amusing: the annoyed expression on her brother's face or the look of shock on their parents'.

As soon as Franklin walked in, he ignored the gasp of shock and quiet snickering from his parents and looked straight at Valeria. He schooled his face into an amused smirk and raised an eyebrow at her. He refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing him upset. "Valeria," He said, quietly relishing the brief look of fear that crossed his sister's face at the use of her full name. "Would you mind explaining why you felt I needed a wardrobe change this morning?"

She immediately slapped on her cutest smile, hoping that it might take the edge off her brother's ire. Sometimes it worked, but after four years of exposure to "the face", Franklin wasn't affected as much. "Aw c'mon, Frankie! Katie and I just thought it would be nice if you wore something that wasn't blue for once!"

"Val," He said, trying to fight down a grin at his sister's naivety. "You're not supposed to tell me who your partner in crime is after you prank me."

"Oh! Right! Uh… Katie didn't do anything!"

"Of course she didn't," He replied, nodding as if he understood completely. "So why did you and your… partner, who isn't Katie, decide I would look good in pink?"

Valeria perked up, thinking she was out of immediate danger. If there was one thing she loved about Frankie, it was that he let her get away with some mistakes and minor rule breaking when they were playing games or having their own private prank war. Of course, she didn't account for the fact that she'd essentially stepped into the big leagues when she allied with Katie, a mistake she would soon regret.

"Well, Ka- I mean my partner," She hastily corrected herself. "We thought that you'd look better with a brighter color, and the pink goes so nice with your hair, Frankie!"

Ah yes, his hair. No one had quite been able to figure out why Franklin's hair hadn't gone back to black. Reed had even taken samples and tested them in his lab, only to find that no traces of the blonde dye or even the slightest hint of bleach were present. For the last four years, his hair had remained the same platinum blonde color as Susan's. After the results came back negative, they just assumed that Franklin might be able to change his features as part of his mutation.

Back to the present, Franklin sighed, he was somewhat frustrated by Katie's penchant for getting him in pink clothing and amused by Valeria's logic. "Any other reasons?"

"Ummm, yeah!" She said, nodding happily. He wasn't shouting so he couldn't be mad, right? "Ka- My partner said she thought it would be funny and you'd look… umm… Hang on… I forgot what she said…"

"Silly?" He offered. _That's right up Katie's alley._

"No, no, that's not it," She answered. "Oh now I remember! She said you'd look cute!"

Franklin's cheeks reddened as his parents tried to stifle their laughter. The fact that his baby sister supplied Katie's motive for pranking him with all the innocence of a pre-school kid didn't stop him from being embarrassed in the least bit. It was no secret in the Richards household that he had a big crush on his best friend. _Katie thinks I look cute? No way, that's gotta be her way of getting Valeria to go along with her prank… At least, I think that's it._

"Fine, I'll deal with… your partner later," He said after the blush on his face died down. "You, on the other hand, should probably go make sure Einstein is okay. When I last saw him, he wasn't looking so good." He smirked evilly as he finished his threat, he did have to make it look real after all.

Valeria gasped in shock. Einstein, a small teddy bear Franklin gave her for her first Christmas, was her very favorite stuffed animal. If anything happened to him, she'd lose it. She bolted off to her room, calling "Einstein! Einstein!" all the way. Susan and Reed shared a worried look, they really didn't want to have to deal with the impending fight if Franklin angered little Valeria.

"Franklin," Reed said in his lecturing tone, looking toward his grinning son. "_Please_ tell me I'm not going to have to go comfort your sister when she sees her toy."

"Don't worry," He answered, pulling Einstein out of his backpack. "Little Albert is in good hands."

Susan giggled. She should've known he wouldn't do anything to really upset his sister. "You know she's going to start crying when he's not in her room."

"Aw, come on, mom! I'll give him back when she comes back down! I just wanted to scare her a bit, turnabout is fair play, after all!"

"Fine, but if she sends you flying through the wall again, you're fixing it young man!"

Franklin winced in phantom pain. He'd forgotten that his sister had inherited all of her mother's powers, including her telekinetic abilities. _Ooooh, this could be bad!_

"FRANKIE! WHAT DID YOU DO TO EINSTEIN?" Valeria came running back into the kitchen, tears streaming down her face. "I can't find him!" She sobbed. "Where did you –" She stopped yelling when she noticed that Franklin was holding her precious Einstein captive. "Ei-Einstein?"

Franklin's grin widened even more, threatening to split his face. "Yes, Valeria Richards," He replied, mimicking a Transylvanian accent he'd heard in an old vampire movie. "I have taken your precious little Einstein as compensation for your tasteless prank!"

"Bu-but, Einstein didn't do anything!" She wailed. "Please don't hurt him!"

Franklin's grin fell as he noticed fresh tears beginning to pour down her face. He may have wanted to mess with her, but he hated seeing her cry. "I was just teasing, Val," He said, holding Einstein out for her to take. "Here, see? He's fine."

Valeria took Einstein and began checking him over for any signs of injury. When she was satisfied that her best friend was unhurt, she hugged him tightly to her chest, nuzzling her cheek against his. She looked back up at Franklin, glaring angrily. "Meanie!"

"Hey! You started it, sis'!"

"It was just your clothes!"

"Yeah, and you know how much I hate pink!"

"Pink is nice! I don't get why you hate it so much!"

"Enough!" Reed yelled, trying to get their attention. Their sibling antics were funny for a bit, but it was best to cut off the argument before powers got involved. "Knock it off, both of you! Valeria, if you're going to prank your big brother, you should expect that he's going to get you back. Franklin, after four years you should know how attached your sister is to Einstein, threatening him is just going to upset your sister. Understand?"

"Yes, daddy."

"Yes, dad."

"Uh, I hate to interrupt this tender family moment," Johnny said as he entered the dining room. "But unless my watch is wrong, you two should be heading to school."

"Crap!" Franklin yelled. "Come on, Val, we've still gotta meet Katie and the others!" He grabbed a piece of toast in one hand and grabbed Valeria's arm in the other, before sprinting for the front door. "Bye guys!"

"Slow down! You're gonna rip my arm off!"

"No I won't, just run faster!"

As the sounds of the bickering siblings faded away, Susan, Reed, and Johnny just shook their heads and laughed.

Ben suddenly walked into the room, holding his head and groaning. "Did any of yous get the license plates of dose kids that ran me over?"

Ben's question prompted them to fall off their chairs and roll around in hysterics. Just another day at the Baxter Building.

**Scene Change – Baxter Building Lobby,** **New York City, New York**

Alex was worried, very worried. The grin on his youngest sister's face could only mean that she'd pranked Franklin. Again. _Four years. Four freaking years of this prank war!_ "Alright, I'll bite," He said, causing his siblings to look towards him in confusion. "What did you do this time, Katie?"

Katie tried to look innocent. "Why would you think I've done anything, Alex?" She said, sounding just a little too sweet. "I've been with you all morning and I was home all night!"

"Cut the act, Katie, you don't have a poker face."

"Technically, _I_ didn't do anything."

"Oh no!" Julie groaned, palming her face. "You got Valeria to help didn't you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Jack supplied. "I mean, if you got Johnny to help, Frankie would've probably blown up a few floors trying to kill him by now. Since there hasn't been an explosion, the only explanation would be Valeria helping you. He'd never hurt a hair on her head."

"Exactly!" Katie chirped. "It's the perfect plan! If he gets mad at her, she'll just hit him with those puppy dog eyes and BAM! Instant guilt trip and he forgets all about me!"

"Yes, so perfect," Alex drawled. "Except for one part…"

"What?" _I didn't miss anything… I think._

"You forgot that while Valeria's a genius when it comes to books, she's still a four-year-old when it comes to everything else."

"So?"

"So she has all the discretion of a person with Tourette's syndrome," Julie said, laughing at the look of shock on her sister's face. "You've probably already been ratted out!"

Katie opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off by a voice from the elevators. "Oh, that ship's already sailed, Julie." The Power siblings turned around and saw their Franklin, garbed in a pink shirt with a kitten on the front, and Valeria, who was still clutching Einstein in her left hand.

The sight of their teammate looking annoyed in his pink kitten shirt sent the Power kids into hysterical laughter. Who would've thought that Tattletale, the boy who had the New York underworld quaking in their boots when he was still in kindergarten, would look so silly in pink? If only one of them had a camera.

"Oh, go jump off a bridge!" Franklin grumbled. "I'll get you for this, Katie!"

"Oh please! Like there's anything you haven't already done to me after four years, Frankie!" She teased with an air of mock arrogance. There was just nothing better than a post-prank teasing session!

"How'd you like to spend the day thinking you're a chimp?"

Katie's grin fell at his threat. Since Franklin's powers had matured in the last four years, he'd discovered the ability to control people's minds. This skill was part of the reason he was so feared by criminals; many would be bank robbers had suddenly turned themselves in after encountering the psychic boy. The best part was that he could mess with someone's brainwaves to the point that they stayed in the condition he left them until _he_ undid it.

"N-Now c'mon, Frankie!" She stuttered, backing away from him in fear. She would never be able to show her face at school again if he made her act like a chimp! "It was just a joke! All in good fun right?"

"Hmmm, we'll see I suppose," He said, smirking at his trembling friend. "Oh, and Katie? A little birdie told me that you think I look cute in pink. Thanks, dear! I knew you loved me!" _HA! Let's see how you like it when the pressure's reversed!_

Katie's face turned a rather interesting shade of red, she was more than embarrassed that her not so secret crush on her best friend had been revealed to him! She already had to deal with the teasing from her siblings, but now she was getting it from him! "I… well, uh… I meant… uh."

"Alright, love birds," Alex cut in, trying to hide his grin. "Let's get going before we're all late."

As the group started walking to school, Katie looked down at the ground, still embarrassed that she'd been teased by Franklin. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her midsection, trapping her in place.

"Don't look so down," Franklin whispered in her ear. "I know you just told Val that to get her to help you, I promise I won't tease you about it anymore." _I hope I'm saying the right thing. If she really thought that, I'll be in big trouble for jumping the gun!_

Katie forced herself to look up and smile, hiding her sadness. "Y-yeah! You caught me! I just didn't think she'd remember me saying that!" _Not really, you actually do look really cute, and not just in pink._

"Don't worry about it!" He said, waving her off. "It won't change anything between us! We're still friends and I'm still gonna find a way to get you back for this morning!" _Phew! Crisis averted! Great job, Frankie! Now, just hide my own crush on her and everything will go back to normal!_

"Ha! You wish, dummy!" She cried. "You'll never beat me!" _Frankie, you're my best friend and I like you a lot. But… sometimes you're so unbelievably dense!_

"Hey! Would you two court jesters catch up already?" Jack yelled from up ahead. "If I'm late again, I'll get a freakin' detention!"

The two nine-year-old pranksters shared a look of annoyance. "Truce until we prank Jack?" Franklin offered.

"You didn't even have to ask!" Katie said, smirking evilly. "It's high time my dear, older brother learned why no one messes with Energizer and her trusty sidekick, Tattletale!"

"Wait a minute, why am I the sidekick?"

"Because I said so!"

"I object! I'm definitely the leader!"

"Oh really? Then let's see you deal with my tickle attack, oh fearless leader!"

"Okay, okay! You're the leader! I'm the sidekick!"

"That's right! And don't you forget it, _little boy_!"

**Scene Change – New Potter Mansion, Godric's Hollow, England**

Meanwhile in England, Lily and James Potter were having a nice chat with their good friends, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. The Delacours weren't present because they were spending time with Jean-Claude's parents.

The years had certainly been kind to the group. With their son, Nathan Potter, becoming a household name with his "Boy-Who-Lived" moniker, the Potters had become the golden family throughout the magical world! Families of the Light clung to their every word and took every opportunity to shower their gratitude on young Nathan!

James and Lily were looked upon as the perfect parents, the people who would raise the savior of the Wizarding world with proper Light sided values such as compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance to muggles and muggleborns.

Sirius and Remus had stayed close friends with the Potters, they'd essentially become Nathan's surrogate uncles in the process. Between them and James, Nathan got full exposure to the Marauder agenda. In other words, pranking the Slytherins, pranking Snape, hating anything to do with the Dark Arts, pranking Snape, learning that Voldemort was a complete nutter with delusions of grandeur, and, most importantly, pranking Snape. Obviously, this was serious ("No, not you Sirius." "Hey!") business.

The Weasley family may not have become a superstar, Light-sided family in the public eye, but they were still heavily revered due to their close ties with the Potters. Add in the fact that their youngest son, Ron, was Nathan's best friend, and they were well on their way to prominence.

Unfortunately, constant exposure to the spotlight caused the Potter family and their close circle of friends to grow somewhat arrogant. Ron and Nathan in particular walked around as if they owned the magical world, and, in essence, they did. All they had to do was say "I'm the Boy-Who-Lived/Best friend of the Boy-Who-Lived" and most adults let them have their way. It made perfect sense to them that the world should be willing to show open gratitude for Nathan's services.

"So, what's the plan for Spring Break?" Sirius asked. "Are we gonna hit the beaches of Southern France with the Delacours like last year?"

"No," James replied. "Jean said something about visiting Appoline's mother in the Veela community. The girls are really looking forward to seeing her again."

"If you ask me, it's better that we don't go to that terrible beach ever again!" Molly snapped. "The mere sight of those muggle girls flaunting their skin like a bunch of harlots disgusts me!"

"Calm down, Molly-wobbles," Arthur pleaded. "It's just a culture difference!"

"Come off it, Arthur! Those girls were practically exposing themselves to everyone present!"

"Molly," Lily began. "While I agree that it was a bit too much skin to be shown in public, Arthur's right. The swimsuits they were wearing are what's in style in the muggle world right now, you can't honestly expect them to follow our fashion trends."

"Molly's aversion to the public exposure of anything more than a face or hand of the female body aside," Remus joked, causing Molly to glare heatedly at him. "Where exactly do you propose we go this year?"

"Well, I was thinking somewhere in the United States," James said. "None of us have been there before, and I hear it has some pretty good vacation spots. And we'll avoid the beaches," He added quickly, to prevent another eruption from Molly. "We'll stick to some of the cities and theme parks."

"That doesn't exactly supply an exact definition of where, Jamsie," Sirius drawled. "I'm not sure when you last looked at a map, but the U.S. is a big country."

"How about we go to a few of the cities," Lily offered. "It could be almost like a road trip. We could visit Boston, Disney World, or –"

"New York!" Sirius cried.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked. "What's wrong with our York?"

"Nothing, Arthur," Lily giggled. "New York is named for the Duke of York back in the colonial days. Sirius is talking about the state of New York?"

"Not just the state, Lily dear! I'm talkin' about the Big Apple itself! New York City!"

"What exactly is the big deal about New York City?" Molly asked.

"It's supposed to be one of the largest muggle cities in the world," Lily answered. "A few sports teams claim it as their home and the night life, which is probably what Sirius is so excited for, is supposed to be fun. But there's a small problem…"

"What? You're worried about the crime rate?" Sirius asked.

"Of course that's what I'm worried about! They have a mugging on practically every street corner!"

"You're gonna get criminal activity anywhere you go, Lils."

"I'll give you that, but still.."

"Listen, we've got a big group going, and six of us are adult wizards and witches. If we run into any trouble we can handle it with magic! What's the worst that could happen?" He said the last line jokingly, he'd more than made his point.

After a few more minutes of discussion, it was decided. Spring Break would feature a tour of a few of America's main attractions. New York City, would be the last stop on what promised to be a vacation to remember.

**Scene Change – New York City, New York**

Franklin suddenly stopped walking, his eyes widened in terror. "Holy crap!" He muttered.

"What's wrong, Frankie?" Valeria asked.

"I hope it's not real…. But I think I just had a vision of the future!" The entire group tensed. Everyone, Valeria included, knew that Franklin's visions should be taken very seriously.

"What is it?" Alex asked. "Should we be ready for a fight?"

"No… It was a vision… of the future of the U.S. music industry!"

"Oh, good!" Katie said, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I thought it was something serious."

"It is serious!" Franklin snapped. "I've just about lost all faith in humanity…"

"Ease off the melodrama," Julie teased. "Surely it couldn't be that bad."

Franklin just stared at his companions for a moment. "You know what, I'll give you a small sample of what I saw."

"Oh this'll be good," Jack mumbled, closing his eyes so he could experience the vision Franklin was about to share.

The five kids waited a moment, and were rewarded with a young, female voice singing the following lyrics in their heads: "_It's Friday, Friday! Gotta get down on Friday…_"

"Oh my God! Make it stop!" Alex yelled, clamping his hands over his ears. "What the Hell was that?"

"I couldn't tell if that girl in the vision was singing or snarling at me," Julie muttered.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I think I hate Friday," Jack said in a monotone, he was close to cardiac arrest at this point.

"Frankie," Valeria whimpered. "I don't like the future!"

"That's it! From now on, keep the visions of creepy future girls to yourself, mister!" Katie growled, poking him in the chest with every word. "We've already got you randomly bursting out into song in the middle of a crime bust, the last thing I need is _that_ stuck in my head!"

"You're the ones who asked," Franklin muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I do not randomly start singing!"

Katie smirked and raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Frankie, you sang _Driven_ by Rush last time we ended up chasing down a getaway car."

Franklin huffed and looked away from his now snickering friends and sister. After four years of exposure to Spider-Man's methods of getting under people's skin, he started to develop his own methods. Add in the fact that he had a brief run-in with Deadpool, whose mental stability was questionable, and you had a kid who would chat about the weather while using his powers to change a gun into a set of handcuffs.

"Fine, I have some quirks but you don't have to be so critical about it them." He sulked. The sight of the sulking reality manipulator sent the group into hysterics, sometimes the poor boy just set himself up for this.

**Chapter End**

**Okay, that's all for this chapter! Well… almost. I do have a couple semi-important notes:**

**Spider-Man did accidentally kill Gwenn Stacy, his girlfriend before Mary Jane Watson. He tried to catch her with one of his web-lines after she fell off a bridge. Unfortunately, she suffered severe whiplash and died while he was fighting the Green Goblin.**

**While we know him best for his witty banter, Spider-Man suffers from guilt issues behind closed doors. He constantly blames himself whenever his loved ones come into harms way, even going as far as wishing that he never gained his powers.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review and let me know!**


	11. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the **_**Harry Potter**_** series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**Sorry about the month long delay everybody! I've had a lot going on with school and hockey, so I've been having to squeeze in working on little bits and pieces of the story. Rest assured, I'm not abandoning the story.**

**At this point, I'm going to give a shout out to dgenxman; he helped me organize a bit of this chapter back when I had my initial discussion with him a couple months ago. **

**Remember, when the kids are in costume, they are addressed by their codenames instead of their real names.**

"_Telepathic speech_"

"Computer speech"

**Chapter 9: Set 'em Up…**

**New York City, New York**

Franklin glared at his opponent, as if trying to unnerve her with his deep, green eyes. Spring Break had finally rolled around, he had already gone to a couple movies with Katie and gone to the arcade with Jack, but right now was not the time for goofing off! He was in the battle of his life and he'd finally outmaneuvered his opponent! She may have beaten him before, but there was absolutely no way –

"Checkmate," Valeria said, grinning brightly. "That's three games for me, none for you, Frankie!"

Franklin's face fell at her declaration. He was so sure he had her that time! Why was it so hard to beat his little sister? He sighed in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. "Again?"

"Sure! You have to set it up though," She said, leaning back and folding her arms behind her head. "I'm tired from beating you so badly!"

"Just you wait! I'll get you this time, you smug little –"

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

Franklin groaned as his communicator went off in the middle of playing with Valeria. Again. While it was certainly convenient for the Pack to have them since they made it easier for the group to contact one another outside of battle and allowed Franklin to focus on fighting instead of maintaining contact with the group, they tended to go off at the worst times. Though, he had to admit _Friday _had done a great job making them untraceable. He mumbled a quick apology towards his now pouting sister and answered. "Hello."

"Tattletale, it's Zero-G," Alex's voice sounded through the speaker.

"I take it from you use of codenames this isn't a social call," Franklin noted drily. "What's the story?"

"Just got a call from our mutual friend, Spider-Man. He's in the middle of a crime bust and needs backup."

"Heh, I knew he was getting soft," Franklin quipped. "What's wrong now, he can't handle the Vulture?" _That old man does seem like the type to try a bank heist in broad daylight._

"Try Vulture, Shocker, and Rhino."

"What the heck is this? A freaking A-Team reunion show?" Franklin asked. "Would it be stupid to ask if you have any good news for me?"

"Almost Mass Master's level of stupidity," Alex answered. Franklin could practically see the smirk on the Power Pack leader's face. "Head over to Columbus Avenue and 107th Street, Spider-Man wants us to cut them off there."

"Cut them off?" Franklin repeated. "Sounds like they're headed for either Morningside Park or Columbia University."

"That's what we're afraid of, there's too much risk if they get in those areas."

"No kidding, I'll be over in a bit." Franklin said. He turned to Valeria, who was still pouting. "Val, I gotta go help the gang, we'll finish up when I get back."

"Promise?" Valeria asked, looking up at him with her big blue eyes.

"I promise," He said, smiling back at her. His face then turned serious, it was time to go to work. "Costume on!"

Rings of light engulfed the blond boy as his clothes began to change into his uniform. The suit had actively adjusted in order to fit him as he grew, so he didn't need to ask _Friday_ for a replacement whenever he hit a growth spurt.

The only new addition to his signature orange and black suit was a mask. His parents had insisted that the Pack wear something to hide their faces. After all, Tony couldn't pay off every civilian with a camera.

Franklin was a bit wary of adding one, as there were factors such as breathing and vision to be considered. He finally settled on a black version of Captain America's mask; it covered most of his face and head, so it hid any identifying features, and came to a stop over his mouth and nose, making it easy for him to breathe while wearing it. The rest of the Pack followed his example, although Julie and Katie did cut a hole in the top so they could style their hair into a ponytail. Granted, it did make them look like football players from the 1930s, but function was more important than fashion.

As his costume finished forming, he decided that running or using his powers to fly to his destination might still be a little too slow. And there was also the possibility that he might be spotted by the group of villains, which would throw a big wrench in the plan. His best option would probably be his own special brand of teleportation that he'd based off of his encounters with Nightcrawler. Simply put, focus on a destination, tear a wormhole in the fabric of reality, step in and arrive at any destination of his choice.

While the method sounds easy for a kid with reality warping powers, it was actually quite dangerous. Franklin hadn't field tested this power until Aunt Agatha gave her approval, and that was only after he'd done a year's worth of practice with it on other objects. He hadn't messed up yet; unless you count the time he accidentally warped himself to Siberia. _I'm not sure who was angrier: mom or Katie_.

Tattletale's eyes glowed white as he unleashed his psychic powers. A wormhole opened before him with a loud cracking sound, through it, he could literally see the busy intersection that marked his destination. Before stepping forward, he glanced toward the digital clock mounted on the wall.

4:30 P.M. _As usual, the idiot brigade interrupts what was a perfect afternoon._ He thought bitterly, as he stepped into the wormhole. _I guess that just means I'll have to vent my frustrations on one of them…. Maybe Rhino, he can take a beating since his suit is impervious to pretty much everything. I could go for Vulture; it could make for some good target practice. But he's so old he'll probably die from a heart attack if I fire off a psi-blast in his direction. Then again, I still owe Shocker for that crack about my uniform when I first met him… Decisions, decisions…_

Tattletale was roused from his thoughts by a crashing sound coming from up the street. _I think I've found the fight._ He thought with a bit of humor as he lifted himself into the air psychically and flew in that direction. He turned on his communicator and called Zero-G. "Hey, boss! What's the play?"

"Well," Zero-G replied, sounding as if he were running. "Vulture broke off and headed east so we sent Lightspeed and Mass Master to deal with him, Shocker headed down an alley, but we think he's still heading in your direction."

"What about big, dumb, and gruesome?" Tattletale asked as he landed on the rooftop of a school building.

"Energizer, Spidey, and I are dealing with him, we're trying to get him to overheat."

_Ah, yes,_ Tattletale recalled. _Since Rhino's suit covers everything but his face and doesn't let anything in or out except through that opening. Since that's the only place with an opening, that's the only area his body can give off heat. The longer he goes without water, the more likely he'll be to pass out from heat exhaustion._ "So, that leaves the walking cushion to me, huh?"

"You got it! Crap!" Zero-G yelled. He was obviously having some difficulties with the mountain of a man. "Gotta go, Rhino doesn't like not being the center of attention! Zero out!"

"Good luck, Tattletale out!" Tattletale replied, putting the communicator into one of his suit's sub-space pockets. He turned his attention to the streets, trying to spot the yellow clothed villain. Nothing. He growled in frustration. "Ugh, why is it that I can't find an idiot walking around wearing a yellow quilt in broad daylight!"

Suddenly, an idea came to him. All he had to do was send out a psychic pulse and find Shocker! It would work just like sonar! _I should probably be ashamed that this idea didn't come to me sooner._

"All right, moron," He muttered as he put his middle and index fingers to his temples in order to help him focus his power. "Let's play Marco Polo… I'm it! _Marco!_" He sent out the pulse, and waited patiently for a reading. He was picking up a lot of people in the park area, which was a big problem. He had no doubt that he could find Shocker, the trick would be to do it before the jerk decided to take a hostage. After a moment, his patience was rewarded.

"_Gotta get away! That web-head and those brats ain't catchin' me this time!_" Tattletale grinned as he listened to the fleeing villain panic. He then used his powers to sneak into Shocker's mind and see through his eyes, this would make it much easier to find him.

"104th and Amsterdam, eh?" Tattletale muttered as he lifted himself into the air. "That could mean he's heading for Riverside Park, or he might double back and head for Morningside or C.U." He began flying toward Amsterdam Avenue, still searching for the villain. "As much as I hate to say it, I'd better corral him towards Riverside. Too much of a possibility for him to cause collateral if he gets close enough to 114th Street."

**Scene Change- Corner of 114****th**** Street and Amsterdam Avenue**

A man of average height and muscular build pressed his body against the side of a building, gasping for breath. He'd been running for some time, one couldn't exactly blame him for being out of breath from his pursuers.

_Spider-Man and the Brat Pack_, Shocker thought bitterly. The last four years had been a nightmare for the criminal underworld. Granted, it wasn't exactly sunshine and daisies when it was just Spider-Man hunting him down, but with the addition of those kids, Shocker's operations had been slowed to a crawl.

And now he was running from them again! And to make matters worse, he swore he saw Tattletale flying overhead looking for him a few seconds ago.

Shocker shuddered as he got a clear visual of the psychic boy, who was still searching for him. For all his bravado, even he knew his limits when it came to fighting, and right now the odds weren't looking good. It was bad enough that he was a regular punching bag for Spider-Man, but he would take that over being blasted to bits by Energizer or Tattletale! Suddenly, Tattletale flew off in another direction.

_Did he give up?_ Shocker thought, slightly hopeful. _No, there's no way he gave up. He's probably just looking for me in another alley… Which means now would be a great time to get the Hell out of here!_ He poked his head around the building, squinting to shield his eyes from the Sun. Nothing. Tattletale wasn't there. He walked out into the intersection, admittedly this wasn't his smartest move, and scratched his head in confusion. _Where the Hell did that brat go?_

Shocker went into a full panic as a familiar voice echoed in his mind. "_Maybe he's hovering behind you, with a freshly charged psi-blast that's even got your name on it._"

Shocker spun around on his heels, mentally saying a quick prayer asking whatever deity was listening for that voice to be his mind playing a trick on him and not one of _his_ games.

**Scene Change- Odin's Throne Room, Asgard**

Odin, father of Thor and Loki, ruler of Asgard, the All Father, was sitting upon his golden throne, contemplating a most troubling issue. His mischievous youngest child, Loki, was causing trouble for the humans. Again.

Odin sighed heavily, the whole purpose of sending Loki to the Midgard was for the boy to learn compassion, just as Thor had when he was sent there. Instead, Loki just kept coming back with more and more sinister plots to take the throne. Odin loved his adopted son dearly, but sometimes he just wanted to pull his hair out and scream in frustration.

The All Father's musings were interrupted, ever so briefly, by a fervent plea from a Midgard mortal. Odin concentrated on hearing this prayer, hoping that it might be the change of pace he needed to get out of his sour mood.

"_Oh God, Allah, Buddha, or whoever's listenin' please don't let that damn Tattletale be right behind me again!_"

It took Odin a moment to realize exactly what was going on. "Tattletale?" He mused. "Why would someone sound so fearful of a schoolyard tattletale that he would pray to any deity listening?" As the answer finally hit him, the corners of the All Father's mouth began twitching upwards. "Unless he is speaking of… oh my!"

Odin laughed so hard that tears began to fall from his remaining eye; he had to hold himself up by the arms of his throne to prevent himself from falling to the floor. Oh, how he would so love to meet the poor bastard who was begging to be spared the wrath of one of his favored mortals, if only so he could laugh at the expression on his face! He almost felt sorry for the beating that was about to ensue.

**Scene Change - Corner of 114****th**** Street and Amsterdam Avenue**

Lady luck wasn't being very favorable to Shocker right about now. He was standing in the middle of a busy intersection, in broad freaking daylight, staring down a smirking Tattletale. To make matters worse, Tattletale wasn't lying when he said he had a psi-blast charged up.

"Oh no!" Shocker muttered, eyes widening in fright.

"Oh yes," Tattletale replied, mockingly. "How about we play a nice game of catch? Here comes my fastball!" He yelled, firing the blast of psychic energy at Shocker's torso.

Shocker cursed as he was forced to dive out of the way, wincing as he heard the blast impact the ground. He leapt to his feet and aimed his gauntlets in Tattletale's direction. He might be a bit frightened, but there was no way he was going down without a fight.

Unfortunately for him, Tattletale had already fired off two more psi-blasts, forcing him to abandon his attempts to return fire. Shocker turned tail and ran, trying to lose his pursuer or at least get enough distance so he could fire back.

As he ran, Shocker failed to notice that he was being forced to run down 114th Street. Considering that he was too busy trying not to get blasted into oblivion, one couldn't exactly blame him for overlooking that fact.

Tattletale sighed as he took off after the retreating villain, firing a psi-blast every few seconds to keep him on the defensive. _I'd much rather just break into his mind and knock him out, but last time I tried that he used his gauntlets to fire his sonic blasts in random directions. And I __**really**__ don't feel like explaining the damages to mom again_.

**Scene Change – Riverside Park**

While the battle between Shocker and Tattletale raged towards the park, a certain group of oddly dressed tourists were enjoying a relaxing day.

"FRED! GEORGE! GET OVER HERE!" And right on cue, Molly Weasley shattered the relaxing mood. Needless to say, she wasn't happy. And she wasn't alone, Nathan and Ron stood next to her, shivering in their now soaked clothes.

"You shouted for us, mum?" Fred asked, as he and his twin walked towards their enraged mother.

"Rather loudly for it to be shouting, actually," George said, wiggling a finger in his ear to clear it out. " I think that was more of an enraged roar."

Molly opened her mouth to continue yelling, but Fred beat her to the punch. "A roar? You're going to have to explain that one."

"Well, I was thinking she sounded like an enraged animal after seeing that one of her babies was in danger."

"Oh! So like a dragon?"

"Exactly!"

"DON'T IGNORE ME!" Molly raged, completely missing the wink shared by the twins. They'd been waiting to see how long it took Mount Matriarch to erupt. "WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME WERE YOU TWO THINKING, PUSHING POOR RON AND NATHAN INTO THE WATER?"

"Uh… we pushed them in the water because it was funny," Fred said, as if this should be completely obvious. Actually, it probably should be. But, we _are_ talking about Molly here so…

"F-F-Funny?" Nathan stuttered, indignantly. "That water's f-f-freezing you g-g-git!" Beside him, Ron nodded in agreement as he tried to rub his arms together for warmth.

"My point exactly!" Molly yelled. "They could catch cold because of your antics!"

"Come on, mum," George added. "It's not like we did anything that could really hurt them. They just got a little wet!"

"Don't back talk me, George Weasley! You're both grounded for the rest of this vacation!"

"That's not fair!" Both boys shouted back.

"You didn't ground Ron for helping Nathan prank us back home," Fred said. "And they ended up breaking our toy brooms!"

"You didn't yell at them either," George put in. "You just told them to be more careful and told us we couldn't do anything back!"

"END OF DISCUSSION!" Molly yelled, face reddening from anger at her sons' defiance. Why couldn't they just stop pulling these pranks on Nathan and Ron and get over one little mistake? It's not like a toy broom couldn't be replaced (even though theirs never were), and Nathan was the Boy Who Lived, for crying out loud.

The twins stomped off, grumbling angrily under their breaths. Anytime they did something to prank Nathan, they ended up in trouble. It could be something as simple as jumping out from behind him and scaring him, but to Molly, it was something akin to sacrilege. And now, Ron was apparently off limits since he was "best mates" with the golden child. It was just plain maddening!

Molly turned her gaze to Nathan and Ron, immediately switching from enraged to doting mother figure. She glanced around nervously, she wanted to pull out her wand and use a drying charm on the two of them, but there were just too many muggles in the park. "I'm sorry boys," She sighed. "I can't use you know what in public without us getting spotted by those muggles. Fred and George just pick the worst time to pull their pranks!"

"But, mum!" Ron whined. "Can't you just obliviate them afterwards? They're only muggles."

"Normally, I'd say yes, but this isn't England, Ron. We don't know what sort of laws these ruffian Americans might have for dealing with the Statue of Secrecy."

Yes, most British purebloods viewed the American magical community as a bunch of uncouth, uncultured buffoons since they were staunchly against the British magical society's ideology; the Americans actually allowed muggleborns to hold political office and bring new ideas from the muggle world! They were ignoring the whole point of being magical!

"But –"

"Leave it, Ron," Nathan sighed. He grabbed Ron by the arm and led him away, not wanting to deal with a possible lecture on the Statue of Secrecy if the red head persisted. "We'll just dry off when we get back to the room."

"Fine, but those two are still prats for pushing us in!"

"I never said they weren't, but we need to pick our battles. And your mum is the second to last person I want to have against me.

"Who's the last?"

"My mum, of course. A woman with her brains and her temper is scarier than anything."

"Scarier than You Know Who?"

"Oh please, I could take Voldemort on my worst day! I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, after all!" Nathan said, ignoring Ron's flinch at the name. He dropped the act and looked a bit pale as he began to speak again. "But my mum makes a dragon look like a box full of kittens when she's mad."

As the boys wandered out of hearing range, Lily decided that it was time to speak up to Molly. Sometimes, the Weasley matriarch went a bit too far in disciplining her boys. She had to agree, albeit grudgingly, with Sirius: Molly Weasley wasn't _a_ mother hen, she was _the_ mother hen.

"Not that I'm thrilled with my son being drenched," Lily began. "But don't you think that was a bit… excessive?"

"They need to learn that they can't cause trouble without punishment!" Molly countered. "Especially when it comes to Nathan!" She was obviously still a bit spun up about the whole ordeal.

"Okay, I can see that they need discipline, and I agree that Nathan shouldn't have to put up with people messing with him. But grounding them for the rest of the trip because they pushed them into the water? Don't you think that's just boys being boys?"

Molly smiled and shook her head pityingly. "When you raise as many children as I do, you learn what's best dear," She said in a borderline condescending tone. "I'm sure you'll see sooner than you think." She then turned and walked back towards her husband, no doubt to inform him that her punishment would be enforced… or else.

Lily remained in her spot, silently fuming at the Weasley matriarch. Molly was a dear friend of hers, but she absolutely hated being spoken down to like that! She hated it when purebloods spoke down to her about her ignorance of their ways, so she had read every book she could to avoid embarrassing James at social events. She knew she wasn't the perfect mother, but really, who was?

"Lily," James whispered from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Relax, love. You know she doesn't mean anything by it."

"And she knows I hate being spoken to like I'm a child!" Lily snapped. "Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with her!"

"The same reason I put up with Padfoot when he's having his less than stellar moments, she's your friend."

Lily sighed, leaning back into his embrace. "I know," she huffed. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I never said you did, I just told you why you haven't hexed her yet, oh fearsome wife of mine," He quipped, earning an elbow to the ribs. After years of marriage, he knew the one way to keep his wife from hexing Molly Weasley was to direct her attention elsewhere. Sometimes this ended with him dodging curses, but it was better than scraping Molly's remains off of the walls.

"Careful, James," She said, narrowing her eyes playfully. "Or you'll find yourself missing some rather important extremities."

James gave her an arrogant smirk. "You've been threatening me with that since first year at Hogwarts, love. You need to get some new material."

"New material, you say? Very well, be a good little husband or you'll find yourself cold and alone on the couch when we return to England."

"… I think I prefer the old material."

"Good boy."

Their lovers' banter was brought to a halt by the intervention of a certain Marauder who lacked any good sense of self-preservation when it came to Lily Potter.

"EEEEEW!" Sirius cried, holding his stomach as if he were sick. "For the love of Merlin, make the lovey-dovey crap stop!"

Lily sent a heated glare in his direction. "Oh shut up, Sirius! Just because you have the maturity of a two-year-old doesn't mean the rest of us have to!"

"Well I never!" He huffed, putting his hands on his hips in mock anger. "I'll have you know I'm the most mature out of any of the Marauders! Your beau is the immature one!"

"Right, James is the immature one," Remus drawled as he walked over. He couldn't let himself miss out on an opportunity to roast Sirius. "What about that time back in second year when we found out you still sucked your thumb when you slept?"

"You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" Sirius yelled back. His eyes widened in horror as he realized that he'd just confirmed Remus's accusation in front of Lily. She would never let him live this down! "Uh… I mean, that's ridiculous! You have no proof of that!"

"Oh really? Then what's this in my hand?" James asked as he pulled a picture from within his wallet. Lily looked at the picture with widened eyes; she had to have proof. After all the years of Black's pranking and sarcastic wit, she needed something to help her get one up on the wily Marauder. If this was true, she was _so_ going to milk this for all it was worth!

Sure enough, there was a twelve-year-old Sirius Black, sucking his thumb as he slept, unaware that his friends were planning to ruin his image sometime in the distant future.

Lily tried to hold in her laughter, but the sight of the self-proclaimed "Sexiest Marauder" sucking his thumb like a baby sent her into hysterics. If James weren't holding her up, she would've been rolling on the ground.

"Prongs!" Sirius growled, as his cheeks reddened with embarrassment and anger. "Give me that picture, or so help me I'll –"

"But Siwius," Lily cooed as if she were speaking to a baby. "You look so adowable!"

"That's the whole bloody problem! I'm not adorable! I'm suave, dashing, and debonair!" He cried indignantly. His declaration only succeeded in making James and Remus join Lily in hysterics. Sometimes, Sirius just couldn't win.

"Hey, comedians!" Arthur called as he approached the group. "I hate to interrupt your stand up routine, but we might want to think of heading back for dinner. The children are starting to get hungry."

"Good idea," James said, whipping a tear from his eye as he tried to get his breath back. "Do you have something in mind or are we just going to head back to the hotel and see if anything sparks interest?"

Lily stood up, still smirking at the prospect of making fun of Sirius, and added her opinion. "Well, we could always go to that Italian place we passed on the way here. That's sort of at a midway point between here and the hotel."

Arthur's face fell a bit. "Oh, but I was hoping we could go to one of those quick food places. McDillard's was so fun…" He said, trailing off at the end.

"It's McDonald's, Arthur, and no!" Lily said. Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but Lily wasn't done. "Arthur, we've eaten there so much I think ninety percent of my diet on this trip has been chicken sandwiches! I want real food!"

"But… the ball pit was so fun…"

"The damned ball pit is for children!" Lily cried, ignoring the snickers from the Marauders. Truthfully, she found Arthur's affection for muggle objects just as entertaining as them, but there was a fine line between funny and weird. A grown man jumping into a ball pit with the excitement of a five-year-old child definitely fell into the latter category, especially when the muggle kids around them started giving him odd looks.

"You're no fun!" Arthur said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting like a child. At this point, the Marauders were once again rolling on the ground in laughter. If Arthur had only been a few years younger, they would've had comedy gold when they were in school!

Lily pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to maintain her composure and not start throwing hexes at her longtime friend. She loved him like the brother she never had, but, like all brothers, he had his annoying moments. This was one of them. Unfortunately, one had to accept the good with the bad, and there wasn't much she could do to change his quirks.

Then again, there was always that one mouth removing charm Filius taught her in her seventh year of Hogwarts. He'd jokingly told her that she might need it for when James inevitably wouldn't know when it was time to "belt up and back away slowly". She hated to say it, but Arthur was starting to toe the line a bit with his antics. She expected such things from her husband and his band, not Arthur. _I never did use that on James, and I probably won't since he knows better than to try my patience … Sirius, on the other hand, is definitely going to be my test dummy. Ooh, the possibilities!_ Yeah, the dog animagus might want to watch his words around Lily from here on out.

"Let's head over to the restaurant before Arthur does something to get himself turned into an invertebrate," Remus joked. "Which way do we need to head, Lily?"

Lily calmed herself and tried to remember exactly where she had seen the building. It had been a few hours since they had passed it on their way to the Riverside Park, since the group had only been in New York for a few hours they weren't acquainted to the area and ended up taking a few wrong turns. Based on some of the neighborhoods they passed on the way over, Lily didn't want to take any side trips this time.

After a moment of thought, Lily replied. "I believe we need to head over to 114th Street first. And then we have to go to… Morningstar Drive and then to Frederick Douglas Boulevard."

"That's quite a ways to walk," Sirius noted. "Couldn't we just apparate and -"

"No!" Lily cut him off.

James decided to throw his two sense in. He might be more forward thinking than most purebloods, but that didn't mean he was fond of walking long distances. "But, Lils, it's such a long walk."

"We are not apparating in broad daylight, James!" Lily hissed. "Have you even bothered to look around and see just how many muggles are out today?"

"But we could just walk down an alley and –"

"Are you daft! We are not walking down an alley in this city!"

"Fine," the pair grumbled, both were quite put out that they were going to have to walk again. It was no secret that wizards and witches would take any shortcut to avoid any sort of lengthy physical exercise. Unless, of course, said wizard or witch was in tuned with muggle ways and understood how easily they could discover magic if it was used too frequently.

"Then it's decided!" Remus said, completely ignoring his sulking friends. He turned to Arthur and said. "You may want to call Molly and let her know the plan so she doesn't turn her anger on us as well."

"Good point," Arthur mumbled. He knew he should probably be a bit annoyed at the obvious joke at his wife's expense, but he couldn't deny that she had a bad temper when things didn't go a certain way. Her way. He walked off towards Molly, who was currently trying to convince Ginny that it was improper for a young lady to roughhouse with the boys, and relayed the dining decision to her.

Lily turned to Remus and smirked. "You're a pretty big joker when Molly isn't standing within earshot."

"You might call it cowardice, my dear," Remus said with a bit of mock arrogance. "But I prefer to call it self-preservation. Something that your husband and Sirius lack entirely."

"HEY!" The pair in question cried indignantly.

"Sad, but true," Lily agreed, ignoring James's mock glare.

"More like Moony is more of a slimy Slytherin than a proper Gryffindor!" Sirius said, trying to bait his long time friend.

"Too true," James added. "Gryffindors charge, Slytherins hesitate."

Remus smirked. He knew exactly what the pair were trying to do and had the perfect way of countering. "Perhaps, but recklessly making a decision and failing doesn't get labeled as courageous. We _intelligent_ people call that something else…"

"Well don't leave us in the lurch, Moony," Sirius replied. "Please, share your wisdom with us poor plebeians."

"Very well. We simply call it unequivocal stupidity."

"BLASPHEMY!" James cried, eyes widened in mock horror. "You go against the sacred recklessness of a Gryffindor? How could you Moony!"

"Then what, pray tell, would you prefer to call trying to have any sort of a humorous conversation involving Molly?"

James and Sirius opened their mouths to respond, but could come up with nothing intelligent. "Touché." They said in synch, holding their heads down in defeat.

Lily shook her head in amusement. She'd known them since she was eleven, but she still couldn't believe some of the shenanigans they pulled. There were some things that she would never quite understand, but she couldn't help but love them for all their quirks. Lily turned and walked in the direction Ron and Nathan had wandered off to so she could collect them.

She didn't have to walk very far to find them.

"Mrs. Potter, when are we going for dinner?" Apparently, the prospect of food could make Ron's anger evaporate at the drop of a hat.

"I was actually coming over to tell you two that it's time to go eat," Lily said, not bothering to hide her amusement at the boy's mood swing.

"Brilliant!"

Nathan smiled in relief. He'd been listening to Ron whine about Fred and George's pranks and how hungry he was nonstop until his mom came over. Ron might be his best mate, but sometimes he wanted to wring Ron's neck. "So where are we going, mum?"

"Remember that Italian restaurant we saw on the way over?"

"We're going there? But that's such a long walk!" Ron whined, clearly not pleased about the walk he'd have to endure before stuffing his face.

"Unless you have a surefire way of us apparating to the restaurant without having to walk into a dark alley and avoid being spotted by muggles, we're walking." Lily was normally much more pleasant when talking to Ron, but she refused to cater to his pathological laziness like his mother. Part of the reason for this was how she was raised, but the main reason for her intolerance was her fear that Nathan might pick up on Ron's habits and start slacking off in his few chores around the house or, Merlin forbid, in his schooling and magic training.

"Uh, mum," Nathan said, brining Lily out of her silent vow to instill some level of work ethic into her son. "Could we… um… stop at a loo on the way?" He mumbled the last part of his request, as if the muggle groups, who were currently enjoying their afternoon, were eavesdropping on the conversation and would taunt him for it.

"Of course, dear. There should be a convenience store in the direction we're headed, Merlin knows there's one on practically every street corner here!"

**Scene Change - 114****th**** Street Heading To Riverside Park**

"Damn it!" Shocker yelled as he dove to the pavement, glancing up in slight awe as a car was sent flying over his head. A freaking car! A few minutes ago, Shocker decided that it might be a good idea to start shooting his sonic blasts at buildings as he ran by, hoping that Tattletale would slow down and protect the innocent bystanders. Instead, the psychic child simply warped the debris into another dimension and hastened his pursuit. Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying… right?

Well, all that brilliant planning served to do was annoy the blond hero even more. It didn't exactly help that the brat fully intended to make sure that Shocker felt every ounce of his displeasure. And Tattletale was quite capable of doing so.

So now he was playing dodge ball with the young psychic (Five out of five criminals agree, this is **NOT** a good career move for any aspiring delinquent!), except this version didn't give him anything to really throw back unless he wanted to waste valuable running time to charge up his gauntlets. Oh, and Tattletale liked to replace nice, harmless rubber balls with a variety of not-so-nice, very harmful objects; such as, but not limited to, vacant cars, mailboxes, or street lights. Needless to say, this variation won't be featured in public school physical education classes anytime soon.

Not fun at all.

_Not good, _Shocker thought as he ducked another flying object, not bothering to look and see what that damn brat threw at him this time. The constant barrage of heavy objects combined with the screams of fleeing civilians was starting to give him one Hell of a migraine. _At this point, the only hope I'll have will be if I grab a hostage… and right now, that ain't lookin' very likely._

He turned to his left to try to grab one of the frightened children that were trying to keep up with the crowd, only for the ground a few inches in front of him to explode due to a well-placed psi-blast. So much for that plan.

"YOU DAMN BRAT!" Shocker howled as the shrapnel impacted his body and face. His suit might be heavily padded, but that didn't mean that getting hit with concrete hurt any less. In fact, he'd bed money that Tattletale had used his powers to speed up the concrete, for the sole purpose of annoying him even more.

"Really, Pillow-face?" Tattletale asked, smirking in amusement as he hovered a few feet above the ground. "We've been doing this song-and-dance since I started running with Spidey, and all you can think of is 'you damn brat'? I'm not sure if I should be hurt by your lack of creative effort behind your insults or amused by your unintelligence. Oh, well, guess it can't be helped. Now dance, moron, dance!" As he finished, he fired a quick barrage of psi-blasts at the fuming villain's feet.

Shocker dove to the side, not bothering to see if his footwork could keep up with Tattletale's rapid-fire tactics. After four years, he knew it wouldn't end well for him. "Like yours are any better, you freaking midget!" He yelled over his shoulder before quickly turning and firing off a sonic blast from his gauntlets. "Don't you have to get home to mommy right now?"

Tattletale's smirk turned into a full-blown grin as he nonchalantly warped the blast into one wormhole and out a newly formed one… straight into the angry villain's chest. Shocker was caught by surprise and was blasted about ten yards back, before landing and rolling to a stop right on top of a manhole cover. "At least I have the excuse of youth, numbskull! You make Dan Quail seem like he could write a Pulitzer Prize winning book!" Tattletale paused for a moment, considering his last insult. "Okay, maybe that was exaggerating a bit."

Shocker stood up on shaky legs, struggling to catch his breath after having the wind knocked out of him by one of his own attacks. As he finally steadied himself, he noticed that he was starting to levitate into the air, but for some reason he felt like his feet were still on the ground. He looked down, as if checking to see if he was imagining the feeling, only to find that it wasn't _him_ being levitated. It was the manhole cover. _This can't be good!_

He was absolutely right. Almost instantly after he finished that thought, both he and the manhole cover began to spin rapidly. Apparently, Tattletale wasn't joking when he decided that Shocker was going to be his personal punching bag.

"'Round and 'round and 'round you go!" Tattletale sang mockingly as he charged up a psi-blast. "Where you stop, I don't know!" As he finished serenading the spinning villain, he fired the blast. The sheer force of the ball of psychic energy making contact with Shocker's chest sent him flying into the air and across the street, his flight was eventually stopped due to a head on collision with a convenient store wall.

Tattletale chuckled at the downed villain's misfortune. "Guess he doesn't like it when he's the one getting blasted into buildings."

Unfortunately, Murphy's Law decided that now was a good time to rear its ugly head. Tattletale's grin turned into a look of utter horror as he saw what could only be the worst possible scenario right now: a young civilian boy walking out of the convenient store… with no adult in sight.

Shocker saw him too, and was starting to get to his feet. His intentions were quite obvious.

"CRAP!" Tattletale shouted as he flew towards them at top speed. If he didn't get there quick enough, he would have, inadvertently, put this kid's life in danger.

**Scene Change – 114****th**** Street with the Potters and Company… Five Minutes Earlier**

"You've got to be kidding me, mum," Nathan said, disgusted by the sight of the dingy old store. "Can't we find somewhere else?"

Lily sighed in frustration. "We've been over this, sweetie. No one's going to judge you for going into a store to use the bathroom."

"But this store looks filthy! Like something a house elf would give its left arm to clean." Okay, it might be a very horrible thing to say, but he did have a point. House elves loved to clean so much it bordered on zealotry.

"Come on, Nathan!" Ron whined. "Just hurry up and go! I'm hungry!"

"Ugh, fine," He grumbled as he entered the store. "But this is still bloody well disgusting!"

"Watch your mouth, young man," Molly snapped, before Lily could chastise him. Nathan continued walking toward the restrooms, muttering under his breath. He loathed being told what to do, especially when other people tried to parent him.

Lily's annoyance from earlier was re-ignited, she was fed up with Molly trying to parent _her_ son! Vacation or not, she was going to give the Weasley matriarch a piece of her mind. "Molly…" She growled.

"Yes, dear?" Molly replied, more than a bit concerned that her friend seemed to be fuming at her. She couldn't imagine why.

"Who is Nathan's mother?"

That wasn't what she was expecting at all. "E-Excuse me?"

"WHO IS NATHAN'S MOTHER?!" Lily yelled. The men in the group backed away as they watched the two red heads kick off their argument. They had no interest in standing in between them.

"You are, dear, you know that."

"I thought so. Then why, pray tell, are _you _lecturing _my _son?"

"Well, I was just trying to help since I've been through-"

"Enough! How about you leave parenting Nathan to his actual mother for once! Is that too much to ask?"

Molly's face began to turn the infamous Weasley red; the sign that her self-righteous temper had finally reached the breaking point. "Well, I never! I was –"

As fun as it would be to describe the impeding battle, it never started. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the higher powers decided that both women should suddenly forget what they were talking about, or maybe the men finally overcame their fears and stepped in to stop the argument.

Actually, neither of these truly wondrous events occurred. A loud explosion and the screams of the muggle crowd that had been walking down the sidewalks cut off the argument.

It should be noted that New Yorkers are fairly used to strange events occurring almost daily. That being said, they have developed a foolproof system for deciding when it was time to make themselves scarce. Here it is: Mugging? Lame. Aliens? Meh. Gang shooting? Quickly walk to the other side of the street and try to stay out of sight. Battle between two super powered humans? RUN! RUN! BY ALL THAT IS HOLY, RUN!

See? It's all very simple. If you're somewhat street savvy, that is.

But to the group of vacationing wizards and witches, this was all very strange and frightening. The adults (and Percy Weasley, though he was fairly young at the time) had seen explosions from Death Eater raids on unsuspecting magical communities, but they had no idea that these things happened in the muggle world too! This was supposed to be a time of peace! You-Know-Who died eight years ago, for Merlin's sake!

James Potter considered himself to be a levelheaded man. For all his bravado of being a stereotypical Gryffindor, he wasn't able to survive three confrontations with the late Dark Lord because of dumb luck. He knew better than to turn his back on an enemy without knowing who or what he was running from, as many a squad of Aurors had died because of this.

Using his old Quidditch speed, he reached out and grabbed a muggle teenager, who was trying to flee the scene. "What's going on?" He shouted. "Why is everyone running?"

The teen looked at him with what could only be described as incredulity. "Where the Hell have you been the last decade, dumbass! Mutants are fighting! Drop what you're doing and get the Hell out of dodge!" As he finished, he shook James's hand off of his arm and continued running.

James was now even more confused. Mutants? What in Godric's name was a mutant? He didn't get a chance to verbalize this question, not that he would need to. His answer came as if his own ancestor were giving him a sign.

**BOOM!**

The group whirled around to find the source of the noise, only to gape in shock. There, floating above the buildings, was a boy in a very strange outfit. His clothes appeared to be orange and black, almost as if they were specially designed as a fighting uniform, along with a pure black mask that covered his head and most of his face.

While the boy's clothes were the initial shock factor, the adults focused on something far more alarming: the balls of white energy forming in his hands. Almost on cue, he began raining down blow after blow on some poor, unsuspecting victim, causing loud explosions and eliciting even louder screams from the fleeing muggles.

Of course, they couldn't see that he was currently fighting a masked villain since only he was in plain view.

The adults were in a tight spot. They knew they should help fight this… this… _monstrous boy_! But they had to look out for the kids! They could always have them hide in a building or something, but who knew what kind of other powers this creature might have!

"WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" Sirius yelled, watching on in awe as a car began to float into the air.

"I KNOW!" James answered. "BUT-"

"DAMN THE STATURE OF SECRECY! WE NEED TO GET THE KIDS TO SAFETY!"

James paused to consider this statement. As the head of an Ancient and Noble House, he knew perfectly well what the consequences of breaking the Statue of Secrecy would be, especially in such a heavily populated area. But, seeing as this was technically self-defense, he'd have to risk it.

Suddenly, he remembered something that brought this surefire plan to a screeching halt. James hung his head in defeat. "We can't."

"But, this is considered life or death right? The Statue allows –"

"Damn it, Sirius! You know the Ministry is bought and paid for by Lucius Malfoy! Think of how much would he love to see us in jail and our children in his custody!"

Sirius paled at that thought. He'd all but forgotten the slippery ex-Death Eater. The bastard could practically say jump and half the Ministry would ask "How high?" _Bloody, pompous arse!_

There was really no other way. He opened his mouth to give his confirmation, but ended up swearing loudly instead. A huge crowd of muggles was now fleeing right towards them! Apparently, Murphy was going for a clean sweep today.

"BUGGER ALL!" Remus swore, surprising everyone with his sudden loss of composure. "JUST RUN! BACK TO THE BLOODY PARK!"

Remus's shout served as the starting gun for what could only be described as a mad scramble back to the Riverside Park.

**Scene Change – Riverside Park**

Lily Potter fell to her knees, panting in exhaustion. She wasn't lazy by any means, but it had been years since she'd run that far and urgently!

"Is (pant) everybody here?" She asked. Order rule #1: Make sure everyone is accounted for, if not, FIND THEM!

"I'm here!" Percy answered dutifully. "And Ginny is next to me."

"We're (pant) here…" The twins groaned as they plopped down on the grass.

"I'm… (Pant)…. Here….Too…" Ron wheezed. Yes, even amongst his own family, Ron was still the laziest and most out of shape.

"Molly and I are accounted for!"

"Everyone's favorite dogfather is here!" **Smack!** "OUCH! Was that really necessary, Moony?"

"Actually, that was me," James said with a weak grin. "But I only did it because Remus was too tired to."

Once again, Lily had to shake her head at the Marauders' antics. No matter what the general mood, they seemed to have something up their sleeves to brighten everyone's da-

Wait a minute… Nathan didn't answer!

"Nathan," Lily called. "NATHAN!"

"Huh/What?" The rest of the group asked, dumbly.

"Nathan's not here!" Lily wailed.

James felt his heart drop into his stomach. He forgot his son! He began to struggle to his feet. "SHIT! He's back at the store!" Before he'd even finished his cry, Lily was off like a shot, sprinting towards the last place she'd seen her baby boy. The remaining members of the group scrambled to their feet and took off after the Potters, they had a child to save.

Of course, they didn't account for the fact that the rest of the children would come running after them to save their friend. Even Percy was moving as fast as his unathletic frame could carry him. Hey, no one told them to stay put! But that might be because the adults had something else on their mind. Saving the Boy-Who-Lived!

_Oh, please be safe!_ Lily thought as she ran. _Please, Merlin, let my son be safe!_

Little did Lily know, her son was in very capable hands. Namely, the hands of the son she abandoned eight years ago!

**Scene Change -114****th**** Street, Outside the Convenience Store**

"C'mere, you little brat!" Shocker snarled at the black haired boy. He caught the brat by the scruff of the neck, before picking him up and holding him roughly under his arm.

"Put me down!" Nathan screamed, kicking his feet frantically. "You bloody muggle! I'm the Boy-Who-Lived! Put me down, I say!"

"YOU'RE ABOUT TO HAVE YOUR BRAINS SPLATTERED ON THE PAVEMENT IF YOU DON'T SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Right on cue, Tattletale landed a few yards away. "Put the kid down, Shocker. I don't think you want to add kidnapping and possibly murder to your already wonderful record."

"Screw you, Tattletale! Back off or I pop this kid's head like a zit!"

"Shocker," He growled as white tendrils of psychic energy began to roll off his body. "If you don't drop the kid in the next three seconds, I'll –" Tattletale's threat was cut off by a well-timed sonic blast from Shocker's gauntlets. The psychic boy went flying back into an abandoned car, crashing through the windshield with a sickening crunch.

"HA! EAT SHIT, KID!" Shocker yelled, shaking his free hand at the downed hero. He slung Nathan over his shoulder and walked arrogantly to the now wrecked car. "I'd like to see you talk that smack to me now!"

Shocker looked down at the body of his young nemesis with an air of smug satisfaction. That brat's days of thwarting his plans were finally over! Even if he hadn't killed the kid, one more blast would remedy that!

Shocker's confidence faded as Tattletale's small body began to glow brightly, before dissolving into nothingness. An illusion! He'd blasted an illusion! But that meant… Tattletale was still alive!

In his panic, Shocker dropped Nathan, who scrambled a few feet away from the frantic villain. Shocker spun around and aimed wildly with his gauntlets, only for his world to go black. A manhole cover to the face tends to have that effect on people.

Nathan could only quiver in fear as the air a few feet to his right seemed to ripple, before revealing Tattletale!

"Eat steel, jerk!" Tattletale mocked the unconscious villain. After having his afternoon with his sister ruined, bashing Shocker over the head with a solid steel object did wonders for his temper!

Oh, wait, he still had to deal with that shaken up hostage. Bummer, even though he was psychic, he hated dealing with coping victims. He turned to the shaking boy and addressed him. "Hey, kid, you okay?"

Nathan shook himself from his daze and glared at the costumed hero. In his anger at being addressed without the usual respect, he forgot that he wasn't talking to another wizard. "Don't address me in such a manner you freak! Who in Merlin's name do you think you are?"

Tattletale's look of mild concern turned into a glare of white-hot fury. _Freak?_ "I think I'm the one who just saved your life, numb nuts!"

"I SAID DON'T SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT! I'M THE BOY-WHO-LIVED!"

Tattletale paused a moment in an attempt to reign in his temper and remind himself that disintegrating this little brat would do nothing good for his reputation, even if it raised the average I.Q. of the human race. He gave the other boy a quick once over.

The boy he saved was about his height, but looked to be a little heavier set, as if he didn't get out and exercise enough. His hair was jet black, his chocolate brown eyes were somewhat hidden behind the black-rimmed glasses he wore, but what grabbed Tattletale's attention was the oddly shaped scar on his forehead. It looked as though someone had taken a knife and carved a lightning bolt into his skin.

Tattletale shook his head to bring himself out of his musings. He wasn't going to get off track, the kid had really pissed him off. "You're really stupid, you know that!" He hissed. "You just watched me pummel a grown man, and you want to try to argue importance with me?"

Nathan sneered. "At least people know and respect me!" He said, not knowing anything about Tattletale's reputation around New York. "You're just a freak attraction that will fade away in a few years!"

"Listen here, you arrogant piece of –"

Tattletale's angry rant was cut off by six simultaneous shouts of "EXPELLIARMUS!"

"Expelli-what-now?" He asked dumbly, turning around to find the source of the noise. This action caused him to take six disarming spells directly to his chest.

**Chapter End**

**Again, sorry for the delay, I'll try to update sooner (school work permitting). Hopefully, the chapter was worth your long wait!**

**Review and let me know what you think!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Harry Potter**_** series or Marvel comics, nor do I claim rights to any of their characters.**

**It's been a few months, but I haven't abandoned this story. I've been a bit busy with college and various other things in my life, but now that hockey season is over I'll be able to work on the story again.**

**Even though I stepped away for a while, I have been brainstorming on how I wanted to do this chapter. I've actually gone through (and scrapped) a couple of ideas because they either didn't fit the characters or because it just ended up sounding odd, even for this story!**

**I've read all of your reviews and have taken them into account. For those of you who brought up moral issues in Franklin's actions: I would like to say thank you. Your concern actually helped me developed a plot line that would give him an extra dimension. So for those who critiqued my last chapter, thank you once again!**

**Since I've been away for a while I'd like to propose a small game as an apology: the first person that spots and reviews me the specific line that references a popular abridged series in the dialogue** **will have the option to give me a plot twist for one of my upcoming story lines! ****You must give me the line of dialogue in the chapter and the series it references.**** I'll PM you if you are the winner and you can give me your idea within our exchange! We'll discuss how the twist will work so it benefits the story and falls within your guidelines! My only restriction is that there will be no Franklin/multiple girls. Good luck to all who choose to participate! To the rest, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

"{Alien language}"

"Computer speech"

"_Telepathic speech_"

**Chapter 10: And Knock 'em Down!**

**New York City, New York… Lily Potter prior to spells being fired**

Lily was running as fast as she could, paying no mind to the fact that her legs were screaming for her to stop. She might have been more fit than the average witch, but she hadn't run this fast or this long since the end of the war.

But she couldn't stop, not when Nathan, her baby, was in danger. Not when he was in the path of that rampaging "mutant", whatever that was supposed to be. All she knew was that she was not going to let some boy blow up her son, damn the Statue of Secrecy. Somewhere along the line, Lily had forgotten that she had others running with her. She had almost developed a tunnel vision mindset; all that mattered was getting back to Nathan.

As the convenience store came into view, Lily finally stopped and searched frantically for her son. She could only hope that the rampaging mutant hadn't found him yet.

No such luck. Nathan was standing in front of a damaged car and next to the downed form of an oddly dressed man. He was currently yelling at a boy about the same height as him. The good news was that he was safe; she breathed a momentary sigh of relief when she noticed that he didn't seem to have any visible injuries. Other than being slightly roughed up.

Unfortunately, the happy reunion feeling vanished as quickly as it came. Lily's brain finally caught up with her as she came to a horrifying realization: the boy her son was arguing with was wearing the same odd uniform as the mutant who was blasting the street earlier.

_NO!_ She thought, frantically. She didn't lose her son when Voldemort attacked eight years ago, and she wasn't losing him to some half-pint, mutant in orange spandex! She drew her wand, preparing to fire a curse at the boy. No one threatened her baby!

The rational side of Lily's brain chose this moment to click into gear. How could she do it? How could she harm a boy no older than her own son? Even if he was a threat, he was still just a child. She'd seen enough of the infamous Death Eaters' methods to know that children could be used as pawns against their own family and friends, all the Order could do when faced with this was attempt to stun or disarm the poor child before they could lift whatever compulsion they were placed under.

Of course, that would be how she dealt with a child placed in this situation magically. Muggle villains had much more cruel ways of brainwashing children into doing their bidding. Whether through use of drugs, beating, torture, or false promises, Lily Potter was well aware that this wouldn't be as simple as a _finite incantatum_. If it was bad enough, she might have to _obliviate_ the poor boy. That in itself would leave irreparable damage on his mind.

But first, she needed to disarm him of whatever weapon he was using to shoot off those blasts. That was a top priority. She wasn't familiar with any muggle weapons that produced that kind of power, but she hadn't kept up with technological advancements in the last couple decades (not that she could use them in a wizarding household, anyways). Who knew how far ahead the muggles had advanced since her late teens?

Lily took careful aim at the boy's lower back; she wanted to avoid hitting him in the head or neck with a disarming spell. While the main purpose was, obviously, to knock weapons away, the spell had a secondary purpose of knocking the recipient back a few feet. Considering how small he was and how powerful Lily was, one disarming spell to the head might snap his neck. She had unintentionally done this during the last war. The look of surprise on that child's face _still_ haunted her nightmares…

"EXPELLIARMUS!" _Wait a minute, I don't yell that loud when casting._ Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James, Remus and Sirius sprinting towards Nathan. They didn't bother stopping after their spells were fired, they were trained Aurors, ready to do battle. Judging by the sound of footsteps coming from behind her, Molly and Arthur were with them as well. Lily couldn't help but wince. So much for trying to put the boy down without causing too much pain, this wouldn't end well.

She turned her focus back on the boy, who was turning to face her direction, searching for the source of the noise. Lily gasped in shock. He wasn't holding any weapons! That shouldn't be possible! Even wizards needed a wand to fire off high-energy spells, not to mention hover as high as he was earlier!

_W-What is he?_ Lily thought as the disarming spells impacted on the boy's chest. She had the distinct feeling that all Hell was about to break loose.

**Normal P.O.V.**

As mentioned earlier, the disarming spell has two purposes: disarm and knock away from the caster. These actions took place based on priority order; which caused a slight problem when the target wasn't armed. When the recipient was unarmed, the full power of the spell went into the knock back function of the spell.

That being said, six disarming spells to Tattletale's chest easily knocked him off his feet and sent him flying back. Fortunately (depending on your point of view), his flight was ended by a reunion with the same car he tricked Shocker into blasting earlier.

Needless to say, he was in a lot of pain. But he wasn't unconscious.

Tattletale struggled back to his feet. "Oooh… that wasn't fun," he groaned, as he looked up in the direction those strange red lights came from. He saw three men sprinting towards him. He narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth in annoyance, at the sight of this new threat. Were they in league with Shocker? Or was this a group of new villains trying to make a name for themselves? As he pondered this question, he took a quick glance at their hands to see what weapons they had, only to find an even more perplexing sight: each man was armed with a short, wooden stick.

While their choice of weapon puzzled him, Tattletale wasn't going to find out what they planned to do with them. His training with Spiderman kicked in, he needed distance to use his powers effectively; this was the first rule of being a psychic/reality warper. With the distance between the men and him closing quickly, Tattletale knew that he wouldn't have time to produce three fully charged psy-blasts, so he'd have to improvise.

"Catch, morons!" He yelled as he fired off a barrage of low powered psy-blasts. While they weren't exactly strong enough to knock a man flying like he'd done to Shocker earlier, a direct hit from just one of his blasts would still be enough to knock the wind out of a man. Hopefully, most of the blasts would hit and give him enough time to disarm his new opponents of their rather odd choice of weapons and find out who the heck they were!

His angered expression changed to a mixture of surprise and slight awe when one of the men lifted his stick and yelled out something in what sounded like Latin. Tattletale watched in awe as a shimmering blue force field blocked his psy-blasts and sent them hurtling back towards him. No one but his mom and sister created force fields like that! Well, there were a few mutants who could create similarly protective barriers, but none other than Susan and Valeria Richards produced the bubble-looking shield that he was looking at! This certainly changed the game plan.

As he ducked under his own blasts, the answer hit him. _Wizards… how wonderful._ He thought sarcastically.

Tattletale knew all about the magical societies from his lessons with Dr. Strange, the man known as the Sorcerer Supreme. Based off of his lessons, Tattletale had concluded that the majority of the magical world was stuck in the 17th Century and slowly regressing back to the Dark Ages. In short, they were, for the most part, backwards thinking idiots.

Of course, his opinion of wizards took an even bigger nosedive when the members of the European societies he met during a brief trip with Dr. Strange acted self-righteous and looked down on doing things "the muggle way". Especially when one of the wealthier looking wizards made a comment on his mothers "dirty blood".

That was perhaps the only time he took pleasure in putting someone other than a criminal in the hospital. No one talked bad about Susan Richards in his presence; not even Loki, though they had only met for a moment during a rare time of alliance between Thor and his villainous brother, dared to test the patience of the young boy when it came to that subject. People could say what they wanted about his integrity, but the God of Mischief knew where to draw the line.

Tattletale definitely hated dealing with wizards (other than Agatha Harkness and Dr. Strange) and their archaic laws with a burning passion. What was the point of a society that deliberately halted progress and development for the sake of a tradition of bigotry and arrogance? The same refusal to move forward always destroyed the ancient civilizations. Ask the Romans how their empire is doing right about now.

While he didn't face off with wizards often, that didn't mean that he was unprepared for a fight with them. After all, Auntie Agatha and Dr. Strange were kind enough to spar with him from time to time. While this was done mostly for the sake of teaching him control and accuracy, it gave him a good handle on how one would fight a magic user: they needed distance much more than he did. In fact, they _needed_ it. Unlike Dr. Strange, traditional magic users didn't train in hand-to-hand combat. It was too barbaric to them, too _muggle_. While Franklin's weakest point was his close range fighting, he could still use his powers to help him against a much less experienced fighter.

But first, he had to get that loud-mouthed kid to safety. Then he could pummel the idiot brigade.

Tattletale glanced at his temporary charge out of the corner of his eye and spoke in a casual tone. "Hey, kid. I've gotta have a little talk with the stick waving club, so why don't you step back inside the store." As he finished, he made a pushing gesture with his hand, as if to nudge the boy towards his safe haven.

Nathan opened his mouth to argue, but he didn't get a chance. At first, it felt like something invisible grabbed him by the waist and jerked him backwards, almost like the feeling of a portkey activating. His familiarity with the feeling ended there as he was yanked into the air and dragged backwards, before landing safely on the doormat of the convenient store he had just walked out of before that yellow-garbed man had shown up. _What the Hell!_ He thought. _How did that kid do that?_

"Get inside!"

Nathan shook himself from his startled state and looked at the back of Tattletale's head with a puzzled expression. What in Merlin's name was this kid on about?

"Don't look at me like I'm speaking tongues!" Tattletale snapped, not bothering to turn around. Honestly, this kid was practically screaming that last thought out to him! "Get inside and find somewhere safe to hide, this isn't rocket science!" Satisfied that he'd spelled out his order in a manner that it would penetrate even that thick of a skull, Tattletale turned back towards the charging men, who were now only about twenty feet away and closing, wands alight with magic power. _Oh wow, they're quicker than I thought! Either that, or I let myself get too distracted by that kid. Oh well,_ _better stop them now._ He thought as he concentrated his power into his right hand and thrust it forward, sending an invisible wave of psychic energy towards the men.

As expected, the attack worked perfectly and knocked all three of them head over heels. Before Tattletale could make one of his wise cracks, he was forced to duck as yet another red blur went flying past his head. He looked slightly passed the downed trio and mentally kicked himself for not paying more attention to these new foes; whereas the trio he had just dropped were a group of darker haired men, this one was of three red heads, two women and one man.

_That did it!_ Tattletale thought as he used his powers to pick up the manhole cover he had used to knock out Shocker, planning to hurl it discus style at the red headed man. Before he could, the taller [and skinnier] of the two women raised her stick and fired off a new spell. Tattletale maneuvered the steel plate in front of him as if it were a shield; he wasn't taking any chances on what that spell might be. Ever since that one lesson with Auntie Agatha ended with him sporting pink hair, he knew better than to leave anything to chance.

Much to his surprise, his new shield vanished into thin air as soon as the spell came into contact with it. _Well… that's mildly annoying._

"All right! Enough is enough!" Tattletale yelled, forming a pair of psy-blasts in his hands and launching them at the two women. "Let's see how _you _like getting blasted!" _If my hunch is correct, moron should be earning his new nickname right about…_

The women raised their wands and, predictably, formed those blue shields to block his blasts.

But this time, Tattletale had a little surprise in store for them. While he had been a bit surprised that his makeshift shield had been blasted out of existence (and a bit annoyed that his gimmick was being infringed upon), Tattletale had been watching his approaching opponents _very_ carefully, so to not be caught unaware and to learn a bit about them.

It was a trick he'd picked up from watching and listening to some of the Avengers in his younger years, they often spoke of figuring out their enemies' relationships with one another while fighting or through observation. Tattletale had easily noticed how the red headed man and the shorter, plump woman were running closely together, the man trying to run a few steps ahead of her as if to be a first line of defense. This meant that they had either worked together as accomplices in the past or, if the matching bands on their left ring fingers were any indication, they were in a relationship.

Judging by the slight widening of the man's eyes and the paling of his skin, Tattletale was right on the mark.

"Molly, stand back!" The man yelled as he leapt directly in front of her and cast a shield spell of his own, unknowingly falling for Tattletale's trap.

When he originally charged up those two particular blasts, Tattletale deliberately made one weaker than the other before firing them off simultaneously. In fact, made the weaker blast with such a low amount of power that it would simply splash against the taller woman's shield without bouncing back at him, while making the other strong enough to break all twenty-four bones in an adult's ribcage; more than enough to blast through the shield and knock the man back.

Of course, it wouldn't be much of a trick if one blast looked weaker than the other, so he had to focus some of his powers on creating the illusion that both blasts looked about the same size. Simplistic and effective by design, but it did take a bit more energy than he would've liked. Oh well, you get what you paid for.

As soon as the blast impacted with his shield charm, Arthur knew he'd been had. The glowing energy orb smashed through his shield as if it weren't there and continued onwards, hitting him directly on his left ribcage.

**Crack!**

Arthur didn't have time to cry out as the pain of breaking five of his ribs hit him, as the power of the impact sent him hurtling backwards through the air, causing him to collide rather painfully first with his wife's shield, which immediately shattered, and then with his wife. Both Weasley adults were sent sprawling by the blunt force of the blast and subsequent impact, gasping for air as the breath was knocked from their lungs.

Lily whipped her head around in shock as her friends were knocked to the ground by the blast. As soon as she felt her shield barely ripple with impact, she inwardly cursed herself for falling for a trick set up by a boy her son's age. With one simple trick, the boy had broken through Arthur's shield and taken at least one member of the vaunted Order of the Phoenix out of the full commission. And while he might appear to be an easy going, goof of a man, Arthur Weasley was a skilled duelist, even if he was a bit rusty in this time of peace.

Right now, Lily could only hope that Molly and the Marauders were still able to get up and help her. She didn't want to find out how well she would fair against such an odd enemy on her own.

Luckily for her, James, Sirius, and Remus were beginning to stir. Tattletale's shock wave tactic might have knocked them down, but it would take much more to put them out of the game.

James swore loudly as he staggered to his feet, aiming his wand directly at Tattletale's chest he snarled at the costumed boy, hoping to at least make him lose his nerve at the sight of a large, angry foe. "Drop whatever weapons you have on you and step away from the boy!"

To James's annoyance, Tattletale simply folded his arms across his chest and smirked. James was sure that if the boy wasn't wearing that damned mask, he'd see the boy's eyebrow cocked in the same annoyingly sarcastic manner that Snivellous would wear back at Hogwarts.

"Step away from the boy?" Tattletale repeated, slightly amused at James's audacity. "I think not. You come running in here throwing spells around willy-nilly and you expect me to stand aside and let you take an innocent – albeit loud-mouthed and ungrateful – kid on my watch? Perhaps I should ask you what drugs you've been taking instead of what your motives are!"

James's face turned beat red at the young hero's insolence. "I'm not going to ask you again, _boy_!" He shouted, his wand glowed as his magic responded to his anger.

Tattletale's eyes hardened, the mocking, playful smirk turned into a serious scowl on his young face. "And if I don't?"

"James!" Lily gasped as she reached her husband. She had to warn him that there was much more to this boy than meets the eye. "Wait! He can –"

But James didn't hear her; he had already given into his anger. The toll of having his son in harms way and this mutant brat standing between him and his child had taken him back to his war days. "I said stand down or I will make you move!"

While he didn't know this at the time, Tattletale was about to pay homage to the fallen creator of his team. He unfolded his arms and dropped his mocking smirk, adopting the same hard gaze his father wore when battling. "I choose… make me!" He growled. Even if that foreign kid was arrogant to a fault, Tattletale wasn't about to let a bunch of wizards have their way with him.

James waved his wand with a roar and fired a stinging hex at the boy. Much to his surprise, Tattletale countered by almost lazily raising his hand and forming a barrier of his own, sending the spell right back at its castor!

"AAARG! Bloody Hell!" James shouted as the pain from his own spell coursed through his torso. "What in Merlin's name –"

"Oh, don't tell me that you honestly thought you were the only ones with few fancy tricks!" Tattletale mocked, as he pushed more of his power out to make his psychic aura visible. He took note of the looks of shock and horror shared by the wizards and witches as white tendrils of psychic energy rolled off his small body. Apparently, they weren't used to seeing this much power from an opponent.

"W-what a-a-are you?" Lily stammered, unable to mask her fear. She hadn't seen an aura so strong since Voldemort! Even if this wasn't a magical one!

"You shouldn't be worried about what I am," the psychic boy retorted. "You should be worried about what I can do with my powers."

"You're nothing but a dark creature!" Molly screeched as she pushed her groaning husband's body off of her and forced herself into a sitting position. Her initial fear of his strange powers had given way to a form of self-righteous indignation. "Just a freak of nature that wants to prey on innocent children!"

Suddenly, Tattletale stopped radiating his psychic aura and his face took on an emotionless expression. Even though he had similar fears about the boy, James mentally cursed Molly's inability to keep her mouth shut! This brat had just returned one of his own hexes even though it was at full power! There was not telling what else he might have to throw out!

"_Freak, am I?_" James paled as Tattletale's voice echoed with power and rage. His fears only grew as the boy's eyes glowed bright white. "_Perhaps you'd like to see firsthand what a freak like me is capable of!_"

Tattletale turned his angry gaze from the annoying matron to her husband and used his telepathic powers to take control of the man's mind and body. "_Let's see how much of your bigotry you can spew when your opponent is one of your own!_"

Arthur's eyes began to glow the same pure white as the boy's, his mediocre Occulmency shields were no match for the raw power of the angry reality warper. _What's going on? This is more powerful than any Imperius Curse I've ever experienced! _

Arthur's horror only grew as the world before him seemed to change. Suddenly, he wasn't in New York City anymore! He was in the middle of Diagon Alley during the first war with Voldemort!

The sight of Death Eaters killing and torturing innocent men, women and children was as clear as when he originally saw it ten years ago. But… did this all happen ten years ago? It seemed too clear, too real to be a memory! The dead bodies, the screams of pain and the blood, oh Merlin, there was so much blood!

Arthur forced himself not to vomit, he had to be strong, and he had to stop this senseless slaughter! But as he raised his wand to defend the victims, a new sound reached his ears.

Laughter. Manic laughter. Arthur's blood ran cold when he realized that he knew that sound. He knew it all too well. He turned quickly, searching for the source of this horrid sound, while silently praying that he was mistaken. He wasn't. There, standing before him, was a figure that haunted his nightmares for years after the war.

Bellatrix Lestrange, cousin of Sirius Black, was laughing in psychotic glee as she tortured a young girl, who looked no older than four.

Something within the normally pacifistic Arthur Weasley snapped, just as it had ten years ago. This was wrong! Hang tradition! Hang the old ways! That demon of a woman was torturing a child!

"Expelliarmus," Arthur roared, firing directly at Bellatrix's head. While the spell wouldn't likely disarm her, Bellatrix would be forced to abandon her sick game with the presence of a real threat. Arthur Weasley was done watching his people suffer; she would pay for her crimes.

While his intentions were certainly noble and commendable, he was definitely not in Diagon Alley, nor was this the war. All of this information pales in comparison to one fact that would make his heart stop if he were fully aware: He wasn't aiming at Bellatrix Lestrange…

Molly managed to duck and roll out of the way in the nick of time, stopping to look at her husband in shock. "Arthur! What on Earth are you doing?" She yelled, before having to duck as he sent a flurry of spells at her. Molly quickly formed a Shield Charm to defend herself. This might be her Arthur, but that boy had clearly done something to make him act like this! And though she didn't want to fight her husband, she had to defend herself!

As the two Weasleys exchanged spells at a blinding pace, the remaining adults stared in shock and confusion. Why the Hell was Arthur trying to curse his wife? He'd never harm any of his family! Unless…

"What the bloody Hell did you do?" Sirius yelled as he leveled his wand at the costume-wearing boy.

Tattletale shrugged, momentarily dropping the heated glare he'd been sending that annoying fat woman. "Oh, nothing much. I just trapped him in some rather graphic memories of a few years ago, but you really shouldn't be concerned with that right now." As he spoke, Tattletale used his powers to levitate himself into the air. "You still have to deal with me right now, and I'm more than capable of handling the four of you. But, I'm a fair kid, so I'll give you two options: You can either drop the sticks and explain yourselves, or I can smear your faces all over the asphalt. The choice is –"

"STUPEFY!" Sirius yelled, growing tired of the boy's condescending tone.

Tattletale just shook his head in annoyance as he lifted himself up and over the spell. "Why am I not surprised by this?" He grumbled before being forced to dodge a pair of stunners from James and Sirius. "You guys don't have a shred of creativity between the three of you!" He mocked.

The Marauders were, quite predictably, offended by this particular remark. They were the greatest prankers to ever walk the hallowed halls of Hogwarts! Between that insult and endangering Nathan, this brat was pushing his luck. The trio of pranksters turned war heroes leveled their wands at Tattletale's chest and fired three spells in quick succession.

"Petrificus Totalus! Incarcerous! Stupefy!"

"Oh for the love of God this is getting old!" Tattletale muttered. As he spoke, he moved his hands in front of his chest, holding them as if he were trying to catch a football, and focused his powers. Within seconds, small sparks of psychic energy jumped between his hands as a small wormhole formed. He spread his arms out past his body and focused more of his power into widening the hole so it would protect his torso.

Back on the ground, Lily watched in shock. This was impossible even by the Laws of Magic! No witch or wizard in history, perhaps not even Merlin himself, had ever been able to create a stable tear in time and space! Even the standard Time Turners were risky considering all that had to be accounted for!

But this boy was doing it as casually as if he were riding a bicycle! Tattletale's personal wormhole swallowed the spells without any trouble before quickly shrinking in size and fading out of existence. This boy was definitely not normal!

"Th-That's not possible!" Lily stammered, ignoring the questioning looks of the Marauders. The three of them might have been raised in magical homes and done well in Hogwarts, but when it came to information on the history of magic and creation of spells, Lily was the one to speak with. "That goes against all the Laws of Physics and Magic!" Her voice seemed to hold an odd mix of terror and awe as she finished. Even out of school, she still wanted to learn everything about the world, but this shouldn't be happening!

The Marauders paled in unison as the gravity of their situation hit them. If what Lily said was true, then this child had just done something that neither Voldemort of Dumbledore had ever done!

James wracked his brain, frantically trying to think of a way to get his family and friends out of this! Before he could formulate an plan, he was shaken from his thoughts by laughter… coming from his suddenly more dangerous foe.

"Laws of Physics and Magic?" Tattletale parroted through his laughter. Suddenly, the laughter stopped and his smile returned to the cold scowl from earlier. He brought his hands in front of his chest once more and began to create another wormhole. "Screw the rules, I can warp reality!"

As the wormhole once again grew to cover Tattletale's torso, the Marauders' previous spells suddenly came flying out towards their casters. The shocked adults were unable to react in time and were immobilized by their own respective spells.

"Well that was easier than expected," Tattletale quipped as he landed in front of the downed men. "I was honestly expecting you to be a challenge with how loud you were threatening me!"

James growled something incoherent and struggled to get free from the ropes that bound him but to no avail. It wouldn't have even mattered if he got out, the boy would have more than enough time to blast him into the next life if he so pleased. James cursed his horrible luck; he'd really gone and made a mess of things this time.

"Oh, stop growling at me! I gave you a chance to give up but you and your friends just had to start throwing spells around didn't you? So don't complain when you lose the game!" Tattletale scolded mockingly. "I've half a mind to just pull the information I want out of your head instead of giving you a second chance to – Oh crap!" Franklin yelped and threw himself to the ground as yet another spell was sent at him. He turned his glare to Lily Potter, the only adult that wasn't currently occupied by his machinations.

Lily had finally gotten out of her shocked state and was aiming her wand at the boy with a noticeably shaking hand. "G-Get away from them!" She stammered. "Just l-leave them alone!"

"Funny, you weren't complaining when you all had the upper hand," Tattletale noted dryly as he stood. "And I recall offering the chance to talk, so if you're going to blame someone, blame this moron." He said, kicking a petrified Sirius in the ribcage.

"If you won't leave then I'll stop you myself!" She cried, though she still looked unsure that she could backup her claim.

Tattletale rolled his eyes and focused his powers again, with her state at the moment, all he needed to do was take her stick… wand… thing away and put her down. But after taking a second look at the distressed woman, he sighed in exasperation.

She was legitimately terrified of him. By the expression on her face, she really wasn't handling any of this well. He didn't usually do this for villains when they threatened civilian lives, but he'd have to disarm her and immobilize her as painlessly as possible. Normally, this would mean a quick break into her mind and the subtle command to go to sleep, but she already looked like she was just a short push away from completely losing it. Seeing a nine-year-old rip a hole in time and space might've contributed to that.

Tattletale would have to expend a substantial amount of energy to make this happen as quickly as it needed to. But it would be worth it if he or the police could get a coherent story out of her later. She seemed to be a lot more intelligent than the other robed idiots. Tattletale opened one of his wormholes and jumped in, warping himself within a foot of Lily.

Lily screamed in shock as the spandex-wearing boy appeared in front of her! Before she could react, he jumped and delivered a quick crescent kick to her wrist, disarming her and sending her wand flying towards the sidewalk. He followed this up with a quick burst of psychic power to force her to the ground, he then turned to the car he had crashed into earlier and gestured with his right hand as if to say "come here". The metal gave a loud screech of protest, before two of the door handles popped off and flew towards the boy.

Tattletale then pointed to Lily and gave the psychic command for the handles to bind her hands and feet. With the last real threat immobilized, perhaps now he could get some answers… or was he forgetting something?

Suddenly, it hit him as an errant hex was sent flying. The man and his wife were still fighting! Tattletale turned to look and noticed that Arthur was starting to wear down Molly, who was pleading fervently for her husband to stop and see that he wasn't fighting who he thought he was!

"Okay, as fun as that was earlier, I think the two of you need a time out," He muttered as he focused on Arthur's mind once more.

Arthur felt another probe into his mind and suddenly, Diagon Alley melted into New York City! He was out of the war, Bellatrix Lestrange was in prison and he had just sent a stunning spell at his lovely wife.

"WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME!" Arthur yelled as his spell caught his wife in the chest and knocked her out for the count. "Molly! Oh, Molly, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I swear!" He babbled, not thinking to simply use a spell to wake her up.

Arthur didn't hear the sudden screech of metal that would have alerted him that something else was amiss, he didn't realize until his hands and feet were bound the same as Lily's. He turned in shock and noticed that the mutant boy from earlier was waving at him with a small, sheepish smile on his face.

"Yeah, sorry about that, pops! But I needed to keep the two of you occupied while I dealt with the rest of your little gang!" Tattletale called. "If it's any consolation, she's just knocked out!"

Tattletale turned back to Lily, intending to find out just what she was doing here. "Now that we're all settled down, why don't you tell me what you were doing shooting… spells… at… me?" Tattletale's voice trailed off as two pairs of identical emerald eyes met! _Those eyes! Those are my eyes!_

Unknown to both Lily and Franklin, mother and child were staring at one another, one in fear, the other in shock and confusion. This didn't make any sense! Franklin had seen many shades of green eyes, both in fighting crime and in day-to-day interactions with people, but none matched his eyes like this! Hell, even Mystique had trouble imitating that particular shade of green!

"W-who are you?" Tattletale asked shakily. "Why do you… why do you have my eyes?"

Before Lily could reply, she was cut off by a familiar voice.

"DIFFINDO!" Nathan yelled, aiming his mother's wand at Tattletale from about two yards away. Now, all those early training lessons definitely seemed worth it, even if they did cut into his time playing Quidditch with Ron.

Tattletale mentally berated himself as he hastily threw up a barrier. How did he miss someone sneaking up on him? _Oh, right, I was standing here gloating like a freaking moron!_

Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to put a decent amount of power into his barrier! Because of this, it only took about two-thirds of the cutting power off of Nathans's spell, the weakened spell continued on its path towards Tattletale's head! The psychic boy quickly jerked his head to the right to try to dodge the spell, but it grazed his face, cutting through his mask and leaving a gash from the right side of his nose to just above his left eyebrow.

Tattletale paused for a moment, reaching up to touch where the spell had cut him open. His earlier annoyance returned when he discovered that his mask was cut diagonally, meaning that it no longer did anything to cover his face. With a quick burst of psychic power, the mask was ripped off of his head and sent into another dimension, he could always make a new one later.

But now annoyance became anger. He'd just saved this little brat from Shocker not even ten minutes ago! And now, the ungrateful little jerk had just ruined his mask and cut him across the face.

_Bad move, kid!_

Nathan raised his mother's wand to cast another spell, but he wouldn't get a chance to even start the first syllable. Tattletale simply raised his hand and spread his fingers out; Nathan felt the invisible force take hold of his limbs and was suddenly lifted into the air and painfully spread out like a starfish. With a subtle twitch of his fingers, Tattletale summoned the wand to his hand.

"You're genuinely stupid, aren't you?" He asked, glaring at the floating boy. Nathan opened his mouth to yell at him, but Tattletale cut him off. "No, no, no, no, no! You just cut my face open and ruined my mask after I saved you from that idiot," he paused to gesture to the unconscious Shocker. "And have been fighting six other morons to keep you safe! So tell me, oh great and powerful 'Boy Who Lived', what in God's name would possess you to attack me and join them after I just beat them into the ground?"

Nathan glared at his savior turned captor and forced himself not to go off on another tangent. He might be brave and act before thinking sometimes, but he still inherited Lily Potter's intelligence. Now was definitely not the time to start another "I'm the Boy Who Lived" speech. Thinking back, his little rant earlier probably didn't help his case either.

"She's my mother," Nathan answered coolly. He then turned to James and nodded in his direction. "And he's my father."

Tattletale groaned and smacked his forehead with his free hand. This was just getting better and better. "Then why were they shooting spells at me after I just saved your ungrateful self from Shocker?" Here, he started to yell as his temper got the better of him again. "And even if you could make that answer make sense, why, oh God why, didn't they explain themselves when I gave them the chance?"

"PUT HIM DOWN!"

Both Nathan and Tattletale turned and muttered "Oh Merlin/God, what **now**?"

Too Nathan's horror and Tattletale's further annoyance, a group of younger red heads was sprinting towards them. Tattletale turned to Nathan with a deadpan expression and asked, "Friends of yours?"

Nathan's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. "Wait, stop!" He yelled to the Weasley children. "It's all a big misunderstanding! Don't try to fight h –"

"Don't worry, Nathan, we'll save you!" Percy declared as he put forth an extra burst of speed to try to be the first to reach the annoyed mutant. _This is perfect!_ He thought. _If I save Nathan Potter, I'll be a shoo in for school Prefect in two years!_

Before he could get within ten feet of his target, Percy ran full speed into an invisible wall. He groaned as the pain of having his nose broken hit him. Four similar groans alerted him to the fact that his siblings had run into a similar barrier. Before any of them could move, all five Weasley children found themselves lifted into the air.

Tattletale pinched the bridge of his nose, trying in vain to stop a migraine. "No… just… no," He said, now looking on in annoyance. "I'm done! Okay? I'm freaking done with this! I've dealt with Shocker, an ungrateful brat in distress, and six idiots in robes! Two of which are, apparently, the brat's parents! I am not dealing with a flock of gingers!"

"J-Just calm down!" Nathan stammered.

"No! No! Freaking no! I was having a great day, and then I got saddled with all of you!" Tattletale ranted. "You are going to start talking **now** or I swear I'm going to lose what little sanity I have left!"

Before Nathan could offer an explanation to appease the fuming boy, several cracking sounds rang out as several American Aurors, each wearing navy blue robes with a single silver star pinned on their chests, apparated onto the sidewalk.

To the foreign group, this meant salvation! Finally, someone they could relate to and have an intelligent conversation with! Now, maybe they could figure out why this mutant kid was ranting as if they were the problem. Such a preposterous notion, indeed.

"Oh, for the love of – How many of you Renaissance Fair rejects to I have to thrash before someone tells me what is going on?" Needless to say, our hero had finally lost any semblance of control of his temper.

"That's not necessary, Tattletale," One of the Aurors said as he stepped forward. He held his hands out, showing that he hadn't drawn his wand. "We're on the same side."

"Who the heck are you and how do you know my name?"

"I'm Auror Captain Alex Hyde," The man answered, pulling his badge out from within his robes and showing it to the boy. "We received a call that a group of foreign wizards and witches were using magic in a designated mundane area so we –"

"What do you mean 'mundane'?"

"My apologies, I meant a non-magical area."

"Yeah, like forever and a half ago!" Tattletale blurted. "You just now got the call for this? My little sister could've been here faster than you!"

Captain Hyde shuffled in embarrassment. "Well… yes… we've had a sudden jump in crime lately and are currently a bit shorthanded."

"Whatever! Why are you here then? I've already taken care of this."

"We're here to take them into custody," Hyde answered. "They've violated the Statue of Secrecy and we need to find out if they had just cause, then we have to wipe the memories of any mundanes that might have seen this."

"What do you mean take us into custody?" Lily cried in shock. "We were simply trying to –"

"Shut up!" Hyde yelled. "We will discuss this at the Ministry, not here!" He then turned back to Tattletale. "I'm going to have to ask you to drop the kids, we need to take them along as well."

Tattletale dropped his hands and cancelled his powers, not even bothering to cushion the landing for his former captives. He didn't even bat an eye as each grunted in pain and muttered threats under their breath.

"So what? I do all the work and now I get left in the dark?" He asked as he glared at the Captain Hyde.

The man frowned at Tattletale's blunt question. "Listen, I, personally, thank you for taking care of the situation and would love to let you into the Ministry to be a part of the interrogation. Unfortunately, I can't. Letting a mundane, even if he was involved, into our world is a breach of security. Hell, the only reason I haven't ordered my men to erase your memory of the whole damn thing is because we've been told that the Avengers and similar hero groups are exceptions to the rule." Here, Hyde dropped his authoritative air and spoke freely with Tattletale. "I know this sucks, kid, but my hands are tied by more red tape than I would care to deal with."

Tattletale turned away from Captain Hyde and thought back on the ordeal, from the beginning with Shocker, to holding the kids in the air with his powers. As he looked back, his anger only grew.

Not at the fact that he wasn't getting the information he wanted, he had dealt with that from N.Y.P.D. for years, he understood the annoyances of department policies.

No, his anger now stemmed from his own actions! He'd acted like it was all a game! From throwing cars to mocking the foreigners, Tattletale was toying with them! This revelation triggered another memory, this time one he hoped never to see again. Something that haunted his dreams since he was five-years-old.

"It's not a game," He muttered, clenching his fists.

"Excuse me?" Hyde asked. "I didn't catch that."

"Take them and leave," Tattletale growled, not bothering to turn and face the Captain. With that, Tattletale ripped open a new wormhole and stepped in, he needed to be alone for a while.

Tattletale stepped out of the wormhole and into the living room of the Richards' home in the Baxter Building. Normally, he'd be happy to be home and see everyone, but he really wasn't in the mood. "Costume off," He muttered.

As his uniform faded away, Valeria came running into the room. "Frankie!" She chirped as she caught her brother in a tight hug. "What took so long? Can we go back to playing now?"

Franklin looked down at her and forced a smile. "S-sure! Why don't you go pick out a game for us, Val? Just… Just give me a minute to cool off."

"Okay!" She said as she ran off to find the chessboard. He did agree to anything she wanted, he never said she had to give him a chance at winning.

Franklin waited for his sister to get out of hearing range before collapsing to his knees. He felt his eyes burn as tears threatened to escape and flow down his face, his hands clenched into fists so hard they broke the skin.

The memory was playing through his head again! The sight of buildings, forests, animals and people suddenly vanishing into nothingness until everything was gone… except for him.

"It's not a game!" He sobbed. "It's not a game! It's not a game! It's not a game!"

_This is real… this is life!_

**American Ministry of Magic – Washington, D.C.**

"What the ruddy Hell are we doing here?" Sirius snapped at the Aurors guarding the door. "We haven't done anything wrong!"

Neither Auror responded to the man, both had been silent no matter what the group had asked or demanded of them. There would be no favors done here, no special treatment.

The door opened and in stepped a new man. He wasn't very tall in stature, at most he was six feet tall, but he walked as though he were an animal stalking his prey, as if he were warning others not to test him through his aura of confidence alone. He wasn't wearing the standard navy blue robe; his was pure white with a gold star pinned to his chest. "I understand that we have a problem here," He said in a clipped tone. "A group that violated the Statue of Secrecy, in broad daylight no less."

The British adults exchanged looks, they could tell this man was just like Minerva McGonagall: a stickler for the rules and not one to be messed with.

Remus spoke up, keeping his tone as polite and respectful as possible, no point in making enemies before the questions even started. "Might I ask, who we're speaking with?"

"Ah, how rude of me," The man replied, glancing at Remus. "My name is Patrick Springfield, I am the President's First Wizard."

"Err…"

Springfield sighed. "That is our title for 'Minister of Magic'."

"Right," James responded, a bit taken aback by the odd title. It almost sounded as if the man said he was subject to the rule of the muggle President of the United States. But that was just ridiculous.

"Excellent. Now that you know who I am, I think it's about time for an explanation on your part," Springfield said. "So let us begin."

"It's not our fault!" Ron blurted out. "We were minding our own business, when that mutant freak came out of nowhere and –"

"Young man, be quiet!" Springfield snapped. "If you cannot explain to me what possessed your parents and their friends to violate the Statue of Secrecy without your blatant bigotry towards things you don't understand, I suggest you hold your tongue!"

"You have no right to speak to my son that way!" Molly shouted in outrage.

"I don't personally care how things are done in Britain, madam," He replied angrily. This was obviously a point that he was passionate about. "But we do not tolerate bigotry in this country!"

"Well, I never!"

"That's enough, Molly!" James cut in, trying to defuse the situation before Molly's mouth got them into trouble again. "I'm sorry, sir, but we've all had a rather stressful afternoon with all that occurred today."

"I'm sure," Springfield responded as he tried to reign in his temper. "So, why don't you explain yourself Mr. – "

"Potter, sir. James Potter"

"A pleasure, now explain."

"Thank you, sir," James relaxed in his seat. This Springfield character might be a stickler for rules and had a short fuse on the subject of bigotry, but he was still a wizard. All James had to do was find a way to make him relate to their situation and they'd be home free.

The group launched into their explanation, outlining what they had been doing before the mutant boy had shown up and how they came to discover that they had left poor Nathan within the danger zone for the battle. Nathan, for some reason, opted not to give any input for the story. Odd, considering that he normally liked being the center of attention.

Springfield stayed silent for most of the story, only interjecting to ask a question here and there, before nodding and asking them to continue. For some reason, James was unnerved by the cold, calculating look in the man's eyes. This was very different from dealing with the Ministry in Britain.

As they finally ended their tale at the point where the mutant boy had them all at his mercy, Springfield thought for a moment before speaking. "At first glance, it would appear that you were all well within your right to defend yourselves," The group breathed a sigh of relief, finally someone who saw reason! "But I find it odd that the boy - Nathan, I believe – hasn't said a word to explain what occurred between him and the mutant before you arrived."

"Of course not!" Molly sneered at the man. "How dare you ask a child to speak of such a traumatic event? Especially the –"

"Madam, if you interrupt my investigation one more time I will have you arrested for obstruction of justice!" Molly closed her mouth with an audible 'click'. Springfield turned his steely gaze to Nathan, who flinched back at the look he was receiving. "Young man, if you don't want to talk to me about it, I understand. However, I will, at least, need you to submit your memory of the events for Pensieve review."

Nathan nodded, he didn't trust his limited control on his mouth at the moment. It had already almost gotten him killed earlier.

"Excellent!" Springfield said, bringing his wand out from within his robes and pointing it at Nathan's temple. "Now, think of what happened today and the memory should come forth… perfect!" He pulled his wand away from Nathan's head, and with it came what looked like a silver blob. A memory.

Springfield nodded to one of the guards at the door, who returned it and left for a moment. When he re-entered the room, he was levitating a large, stone basin with ruins carved into the side. He set the Pensieve down on the table and returned to his post by the door.

Springfield deposited the memory into the Pensieve. "I'll need a moment to review the memory," He said, glancing at the group. "I'll be back with you shortly." With that, he entered the memory and watched as the beginning of the fight played out before him. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

After a few minutes, Springfield lifted his head out of the Pensieve and turned to the adults. He looked angry, that was definitely not what they were looking for.

"You…" He said shakily before stopping himself and trying to control his temper once again. He failed. "YOU PICKED A FIGHT WITH FUCKING TATTLETALE! AFTER HE FOUGHT TO SAVE THE BOY?"

"But we –"

"NO! YOU PICKED A FIGHT WITH HIM!" He roared, before dropping his voice a few levels. "He even offered you chances to stop, but you kept fighting him. He asked you why you attacked him, you fought him anyways. So tell me, WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?"

"But he was endangering Nathan Potter!" Molly yelled back. "He's the –"

"DO I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A DAMN WHO HE IS? TELL ME! DO I?" Springfield's face was turning a rather vibrant shade of red. Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan noticed that the guards were looking towards the door almost longingly, as if they were afraid of the man's wrath.

"He was shooting those… those blasts at people!" Sirius objected. "We thought he was attacking the muggles!"

"Oh, forgive me! I didn't realize that attackers in Britain asked their victims if they would like to explain their actions!" Springfield replied sarcastically. "He gave you ample opportunity to say 'that's my son' but you chose to fight him! What did you expect him to do, roll over and let you take a boy he just saved?"

"But –"

"Don't speak!" He interrupted, closing his eyes and messaging his temples with his fingers. "You have no idea how much trouble you've just caused me," He said, glaring at them once again. "Thanks to you, the Sorcerer Supreme is going to walk in here and put his foot so far up my ass, I'll taste the fucking laces!"

The British group gasped in shock. They knew about Steven Strange. While Voldemort had dipped his hand into mainland Europe and Asia, he didn't dare venture into the United States. Some said it was because he wanted to bring all of Britain under his control before launching his attack, but it was well known, even within the Death Eaters' ranks, that he wanted nothing to do with the Sorcerer Supreme. He'd duel three Dumbledores before even thinking about that.

"Surely, he wouldn't be concerned with this," Lily said a bit unsurely. "I mean, this is just a small matter with a muggle boy, even if he was a mutant."

"A boy that Strange, himself, tutored," Springfield answered. "That boy and his friends are under the protection of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, a group that Strange is a part of. I think I might be getting off a bit easy actually, I'd rather deal with Strange than the boy's mother." He muttered the last part mostly to himself.

"So, what does that mean for us?" Arthur asked. "Are we free to go?"

"Free to go? You honestly expect me to let you walk around in my country after this little ordeal? You must be out of your mind."

"But we don't even live here! We were just here on holiday!" Ron protested. "You can't hold us in a prison here!"

"True," Springfield admitted. "I'd have to deal with your incompetent Minister's incessant bitching if I even bothered to try to punish you by our laws. But, I can still order you out of my country. This discussion is over!" He stood up and marched out of the room, ignoring the protesting (or in Molly's case screeching) group. As he stepped out, he turned to a woman standing on the outside of the door. "Please floo my wife and inform her that I'll probably be home late."

"Is there a department meeting, sir?" She asked. "I didn't see it on the docket."

"No," he grumbled. "I'm going to spend my evening being grilled by Doctor Strange."

"I-I see. I'll notify her immediately." She stammered before quickly leaving the room.

"Michaels!" He barked.

A tall black man stepped through the door and stood at attention. "Sir!"

"There's a group of Brits sitting in the interrogation room," He began. "Send them home."

"Yes sir! Is there a deadline?" Better to be safe than sorry with the mood his boss seemed to be in.

Springfield glanced at the door for a moment before looking back at Michaels. "I want them on a portkey out of my country within the next five minutes, just mail them their clothes!"

"I'm on it, sir!"

"Thank you, Michaels," He replied as he began his trek towards his office. If he was lucky, he'd at least have a chance to calm himself before his inevitable meeting with Doctor Strange.

About ten minutes later, he finally reached the door to his office. Springfield flung it open, annoyed that it dared get in his way even though that was its function, and made to go and sit at his desk. However, it was already occupied.

"Good evening, Patrick," Strange began in a cold voice. "I heard a rather interesting tale just a moment ago… might we discuss it over tea?"

Oh, Merlin damn it all!

**Chapter End**

**Thank you all for reading! Again, I apologize for the delay! I hope you enjoyed it! **

**Remember to try to find the abridged series parody! First one to review about it and get it right will get to come up with a plot twist!**

**Review and let me know how you liked or didn't like it!**


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